


In the Pitch Black Darkness, There Is No Light

by SapphirePearl1718



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Anxiety, Denial, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Steve Comforts, Therapy, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 62,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24124549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphirePearl1718/pseuds/SapphirePearl1718
Summary: Two months ago, Danny Williams disappeared without a trace.  Steve McGarrett is struggling to cope with the loss of his partner when he gets a call that will change his life.
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 111
Kudos: 241





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here is my next story. This will be a long one, so I hope everyone is ready for the ride. Enjoy!

The afternoon sun blazed down on a small beach, the light reflecting off the water in a hypnotic pattern. The water was mostly calm and boats could be seen on the horizon. It was the perfect day to go swimming or enjoy the sun. However, Lieutenant Commander Steven J. McGarrett doesn't notice any of this as he drinks down a bottle of beer. He sighs as he fiddles with the 5-0 badge in his free hand. 

The badge belonged to his partner and lover, Detective Sergeant Danny Williams. Steve barely held back the tears that formed at the thought of his lover. The small Detective disappeared two months ago, six months after moving in with Steve. The SEAL gripped his bottle harder as he thought about finding the camaro abandoned at an empty parking lot. Danny had gone to the store to grab some things for dinner, but he never came back. The camaro only had Steve's and Danny's prints but there wasn't anything else. After looking at cameras and talking with the store managers it was discovered that Danny never made it there. Now, two months later, there wasn't a single lead to find the missing Detective. After the first two weeks of searching, the Governor forced Steve to put that on the back burner and work on other cases. He still hasn't forgiven the Governor for that.

It pains him to be inside the house with Danny's belongings there. Steve was sad to discover that his scent has almost completely left from the house now and it makes him even more depressed. He has already asked Kamekona to see if there was any gossip on the coconut wireless, but that was also a dead end. Danny was just gone. There were nights when he would lay in bed, holding Danny’s pillow and cry until he fell asleep.

Steve has been trying to stay positive for Grace but even she is beginning to give up. Rachel had even suggested planning a memorial service for her ex-husband, but Steve quickly put a stop to that. If the service happened, then he would be forced to admit the worst. The SEAL refuses to believe that. He just knows the Jersey man is alive, just doesn't know where.

His cell phone rang from the table next to him where he sat in the chair on the beach. Drawing him from his thoughts, he finished the bottle, replacing it with the phone and hit accept on the screen. 

“McGarrett.” He had noticed that the number was unknown. 

“Commander, this is Captain Doug Simmons. You are going to want to come down to our crime scene. One of my officers believes we might have found your man.” Steve’s heart began to pound. 

“Are you sure?” Steve was already running to the house to get his shoes and change clothes. His mind felt incredibly clear thanks to the adrenaline pumping through his veins. 

“He’s pretty positive. Says he looks to have the build for him. But you should hurry; you’re going to want to see this.” Steve agreed and hung up. A second later a text with the address appeared on his phone. Finished changing, he called the cousins on his team, Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly and Officer Kono Kalakaua, telling them where to meet and get there ASAP.

He jumped into his truck and squealed out of the driveway. He refused to touch the camaro since it was brought home. It just didn’t feel right without his partner. It took him a painstaking 20 minutes to arrive at the scene. The SWAT van was there along with ten units of patrol cars. Steve jumped out of the truck and was pleased to see that the cousins were just pulling in as well. Captain Lou Grover was on vacation with his family on the mainland. He'll be updated later.

“Boss, what’s up? This doesn’t look like our type of scene.” Kono questioned while watching an ambulance pull in. 

“Simmons called me and said that one of his men thinks that Danny is here.” The cousins stared at him shocked. “Yeah, I know. I was surprised too.” 

Chin cleared his throat. “I hope they’re right, but let’s not get our hopes up too much.” He wisely suggested. 

Steve nodded and gripped Danny’s badge in his pocket harder. Ever since the disappearance, he always carried the Detective’s badge everywhere he goes. He quickly found the Captain.

“Simmons. What can you tell us?” He got straight to the point, feeling antsy to go in and check things out himself. 

The older man turned to them. He looked shocked, which was quite the feat for someone in their late 50s. His light complexion looked even more pale and his shoulders slumped making him seem shorter than his 6 foot height. 

He sighed. “We got a call from a passerby saying that they could hear activity inside and since this place was abandoned turned it in. We got here and after a brief altercation, the suspects apparently were able to escape. After clearing the building, we found some evidence of possible torture, but couldn’t find anyone. At least not until one of my officers looked up in a small room off the main room.” He stopped and took a moment to compose himself. “I warn you, it isn’t pretty. Follow me, it’s better just to see.”

Steve followed the man and noticed the paramedics also following. They entered the building where the door had been kicked in from the cops entering. The walls were concrete and the old equipment proved to be an old warehouse to make some kind of farm feed. Garbage littered the entire place, but one area showed a large cage that could hold a person. A chair near it had straps attached to it and blood was caked all over it. Floor shop lights were standing in a horse shoe shape around the chair. Tools on a table also were bloodied. Whatever was going on, it was gruesome. 

“Definitely someone was tortured here.” Chin muttered quietly. His voice betraying how disturbed he truly was. They came to a door not far from the grotesque area and Simmons stopped. 

“EMTs stay out here for a moment. Only these three are to enter for now.” He turned to the man standing guard at the door. “Thanks, Jackson. You can head outside.” The officer left, sympathy shown in the man’s eyes as he passed. 

Simmons placed his hand on the knob and looked at Steve. “We weren’t sure how to proceed until you arrived so we left him as is. Looks like they may have been doing some kind of sensory torture, so go slow.” Steve nodded and motioned for the door to open.

Once they were inside, they noticed how warm it was. Steve could feel the sweat beginning to appear on his forehead. He glanced around and didn’t see anything, then he looked up. He felt his breath catch at what he saw. Kono’s startled gasp and Chin going still next to him signaled that they also noticed what he saw. 

A man was dangling above them by their arms. Steve immediately took note of the ropes around the wrists and shoulders, which were the anchor points for lifting him about 20 feet into the air. A hood covered the head and was barefoot. He was barefoot and it was hard to tell what color his skin was. The SEAL took note of the state of the clothes, which were very dirty and torn in many places. 

It was the clothes that made hope soar in his heart. The day Danny had disappeared, he had been wearing black slacks with a light blue button up that brought out his eyes. Even through the grime, Steve could vaguely see the original colors. 

He turned to the cousins. “Kono, find where that chain is connected and gently bring it down. Chin, you’re with me. We’ll stand under and catch him as he is lowered.” Kono quickly ran off to the wall to look for the chain. Chin followed Steve until they were underneath the body. 

“You think it is Danny?” Chin asked quietly. 

Steve nodded and looked at the older man. “Yes, it’s him. I remember what he was wearing that day. I have no doubt that it’s him.” 

“Found it.” Kono called and a moment later, the body was being lowered slowly. Once the man’s hips passed their faces, they gently grabbed around the waist and shoulders to take the man’s weight. The body stiffened and weakly struggled, but quickly burned out. Steve could feel how skinny he was; able to easily feel the ribs beneath his fingers. A lump formed in his throat and with Chin’s help, carefully lowered the man to the ground. 

The older man pulled out a knife and got to work on the ropes. Steve carefully reached for the hood and pulled it off. His eyes watered when he saw the blindfold, gag and headphones. The tormentors really were doing sensory deprivation. However, he could recognize the face of his lover. It was bruised, bloodied and heavily bearded, but it was his Danny. 

He removed the headphones first. Another struggle occurred and Steve had to tighten his grip on the arms or risk a cut from the knife Chin was using. He bent his head until his lips were close to the blonde’s ear. “Shhh, it’s ok, Danno. It’s me, Steve. Chin and Kono are here too.” 

Danny stilled and stiffened at his voice. A muffled whine was heard and Steve gently petted his hair. “It’s ok now. You’re safe. I’m going to remove the blindfold and gag now, ok?” He didn’t get a response, but there wasn’t a fight this time as he carefully untied the gag with his free hand. Once removed, he saw the blood that stained the middle of the fabric. He shook his head and then carefully pushed the blindfold off. 

It took a minute or two before Danny blinked his eyes open. His blue eyes were dull and not the vibrant blue that Steve was used to. He mustered a smile when those eyes locked onto his. “Hey, babe. Glad to see those baby blues.” He watched Danny swallow a couple of times. 

Chin had finally freed the smaller man’s hands and he slowly reached up to clumsily and shakily touch Steve’s face. “Real?” The one word was pushed through swollen lips and a very hoarse throat. The brunette nodded. 

“Yes, baby. I’m really here. You are going to the hospital now and then when you’re released, I’m taking you home.” Steve comforted, noticing the sudden tremors racing through weakened muscles. 

“Good.” Danny said and went limp, his eyes closing. Steve panicked and placed his fingers on his lover’s throat. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a heartbeat. Slow, but steady.

“Chin, get the paramedics.” The older man nodded and ran to the door. Steve hugged Danny closer, thankful that his man was finally found.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Steve arrive at the hospital. Steve gets more questions than answers.
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos. I'm so thrilled that everyone is interested in the story. I'm very excited to see what y'all think is going to happen next. Enjoy!

Steve stayed with Danny the whole ride to the hospital. He refused to let go of his hand, but made sure to stay out of the way while the paramedics worked on their patient. The blonde had not returned to consciousness the whole time. As they worked, Steve noticed all of the new and old cuts along his body. He locked onto the old large burn scar on Danny’s right side. He wasn’t sure what made that, but knew it had to be metal and heated up to a very high temperature. 

When they arrived at the hospital, Steve followed the gurney all the way up to the ER doors. Unfortunately, that was the point he was forced apart from his lover. The SEAL tried to enter, but two orderlies ended up physically removing him to the waiting room. He was told to stay and wait or he would be placed in a security office with a guard. Reluctantly, he agrees and flops into a chair. 

Chin and Kono arrive three hours later to find him pacing the room. “Steve, have you heard anything?” The older man asked.

Steve shook his head. “No, still waiting. It’s been three hours, if I don’t hear something soon, I’m going to lose it.” He confessed. He was impatiently fiddling with Danny’s badge once more. He looks at it in contemplation for a moment. “You think Danny will want to come back to 5-0 after all of this?” He looked up at the cousins in question.

Chin sighed and placed a hand on the SEAL’s shoulder. “Steve, I don’t know the answer to that question. I hope he does, but for right now, we need to focus on getting him better.” The brunette nodded at Chin’s reasoning.

“You’re right. One day at a time.” 

“Commander McGarrett?” A woman’s voice behind him called. Steve turned and looked at the young woman. She was in her 3o’s, dark skin, 5’11” and a little plump with braided hair. He nodded at her question. 

“My name is Annette Sterling. I’m the doctor in charge of Detective Williams. Please come with me.” She quickly introduced and walked back towards the doors. 

Confused, Steve followed while he motioned the cousins to stay put. “What’s going on, Doc?” 

She looked at her tablet briefly. “The Detective woke up a few minutes ago, but he is very agitated. I noticed that he seems to be sensitive to light and sound as well as touch. Do you know why?” Annette looked at him with the question.

“From what we have gathered, it seems that he was being tortured by sensory deprivation when we found him.” Steve answered honestly. He was still upset about that. He had seen soldiers in other countries where they have gone through the same torture. It was not a pretty sight.

She nodded. “Ok, we’ll set him up in a room where we can control the environment.” She said as she made notes on her tablet. “We will gradually re-introduce light and sound. That should help him recover from that.” By this time they had walked through the doors and Steve immediately heard a loud commotion up ahead. 

Annette stopped by the door that the commotion was coming from and turned to him. “Commander, I’ve been told that you are in a relationship with the Detective. In his current state, we are unable to treat him and I don’t want to give him a sedative until I absolutely have to. He is extremely malnourished and dehydrated and I’m afraid if we put him under, then it may be hard for his body to wake naturally. My theory is that you can calm him down.” She explained quickly.

A loud metal crash was heard, making Steve jump. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll help in any way I can.” She nodded and led the way inside. Steve immediately noticed the struggling figure on the bed. Two orderlies were pinning his partner down while the smaller man kicked and tried to scream around his hoarse voice that only came out as a whisper. 

He quickly moved forward and placed his hands on his lover’s shoulders. “I got him gentleman, thank you.” The two men glanced at the Doctor, who must have agreed because the two let go after a few moments and moved away. Steve focused his full attention on the blonde.

“Danny! Babe, calm down, you’re ok.” At the sound of his voice, Danny stopped moving. He squinted his eyes at Steve in confusion, his breath was coming out in pants. 

“Steve?” The wispy voice asked. The SEAL let his right hand be placed on Danny’s cheek and he gently caressed it.

“I’m here, Danno. You’re in the hospital and these nice people need to look at you. Which means you need to stay still while they work.” He could feel the sharp bone on the blonde’s cheek; reminding him how thin he truly was. He noticed the too skinny wrists as well as the lack of strength behind the grip of hands that grasps his arms. “Let them work a little longer, then you can get some sleep, ok?”

He nodded and gripped a little harder. “Stay? Please? I was afraid that I would never see you again and I don’t want to be alone.” The whispered plea tore at Steve’s heart. 

“Ok, babe. I won’t leave, I’ll be here with you.” He turned to Annette. “Danny wants me to stay here while he is being treated. I know this is against policy, but I'm not going to go against his wishes.”

The Doctor nodded. “Of course. If it helps Danny then you can stay.” She smiled and walked closer. “Now, Danny, we need to draw some blood and clean your cuts. Is that ok?” Steve was relieved to hear that the Doctor had picked up on the distress and allowing Danny to make decisions will help him feel like he has gained control again. 

Danny nodded and three nurses appeared. One took a few vials of blood, another cleaned the cuts and the third hooked up an IV. Meanwhile, Steve kept Danny’s focus on him by telling him what had been happening while he was gone.

30 minutes later and Steve sighed in relief when he noticed that Danny had drifted off to sleep. “Nice work, Commander.” Annette quietly said from next to him. “This was the best outcome that I was hoping for. Once the nurses are done, we are going to move him to his room. It should be pretty quiet and we will keep the lights on low until he is strong enough to deal with them.” She explained the plan to Steve and he had to agree. It sounded like a good option. 

“Thank you, Annette. Now, you should be aware that I will be placing a security detail outside of his room and I am going to need a list of employees who will be working with him.” He said in his commanding voice. She gave him a confused look. “The people who did this got away. We don’t know who they are or what they look like. Danny is the only one who could possibly recognize them.” 

She nodded. “I understand. I will be sure to give the list to you as soon as possible. I will hand pick the nurses I think will be best to work his case. I will also be the only Doctor who will care for him.” Steve nodded in approval. She left after to get the requested item.

Steve sighed and kissed Danny on his forehead. “I’m not letting you out of my sight for a long time.” 

~S~

The sun had long set by the time Danny was settled in his hospital room. Steve approved of the selection with no windows and walls that helped keep sound out. The lights were so dim that it was hard to move around without letting his eyes adjust for a few minutes. The only downside was that he couldn’t see the sun and he would have to rely solely on his watch to know what time of day it was. 

A cot was brought in for the SEAL to sleep on as he had no intention of leaving unless he had to. Chin and Kono appeared a few minutes after getting settled. 

“Hey, Boss.” Kono whispered. She quietly walked to the bed and gently encased a hand of the blonde. “How’s he doing?” 

Steve sighed and stretched in his chair that was next to the occupied bed. “Woke up in the trauma room. That’s why they came and got me. He was very agitated and with the sensory deprivation, was overwhelmed. I managed to calm him down enough for him to sleep. Other than that, we will have to wait until he is strong and coherent enough to tell us what happened.”

“Seems to me that they wanted something. Barely keeping him alive and torturing for two months? Danny must know something very important if they kept this up for so long.” Chin noted grimly. 

Kono looked at her cousin. “But what would he know? We’ve all worked the same cases.”

Steve nodded. “True. Unless it isn’t something he has done as 5-0. Could be a case he worked on back in New Jersey.” He contemplated as he brushed a wayward strand from the smaller man’s face. “Danny has told me that he made a significant amount of enemies before he moved to Hawaii. I thought I knew everything about his old cases. But I guess not.” Steve subconsciously combed his fingers through the blonde locks. 

“We’ll do everything we can to figure this out, Steve. The answers will show themselves eventually.” Chin tried to comfort the younger man. “Take care of him. Kono and I will work the case for now. If you need anything, let us know.”

Steve nodded. Afterall, Chin was right and that he would not have the focus to work the case while Danny laid injured and vulnerable. “I will, Chin. Good luck and happy hunting you two.” Chin patted him on the shoulder, while Kono gave a gentle kiss to Danny’s cheek. They waved goodbye and left for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny wakes up and has no idea where he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your comments and kudos. 
> 
> Just a brief explanation, in the last chapter, I imagined that it took 3 hours to get them started on tests because Danny had to wait for his turn for tests. Like any hospital, the most critical patients go first, so even though he was dehydrated and malnourished, he was more stable. Why he was more stable, will be revealed later in the story. Pain meds can't be given because they have to wait on blood tests and they were understaffed. I don't know what doctors learn in school but I imagine that most Doctors don't know how to recognize or treat sensory deprivation right away. But most of all, I wanted to build up some drama, so I took artistic license. 
> 
> Again thank you for the comments and I loved the thought processes. Now onto the chapter. Enjoy!

Consciousness returned to Danny slowly and he tried to figure out when he fell asleep. He was sluggish, confused and couldn’t remember where he was. He lifted his right hand to try and get rid of some of the grit from his eyes, only to stop when he felt a sharp pull. He glanced at the back of his hand and saw an IV placed there. His eyes widened. Panic and adrenaline flooded his system, helping him clear his mind. 

Danny sat up, ignoring the dizziness and shakiness that occurred. He ripped the IV out and got out of the bed. He was surprised he was able to stand, although his legs were very weak. Danny went to the door, slower than he liked and opened it. He was momentarily blinded by the bright lights and deafened by the loudness of the noise. He pushed past it even though he had to squint. He slipped out and using the wall, he made his way towards the nearest exit. He had to get out while his captors thought he was unable to. It was their mistake for leaving him unrestrained. 

An exit sign for the stairs appeared and he went as fast as he could through it. He started down the stairs, but he suddenly realized a problem. He got three flights down and he felt winded. He coughed as he sagged down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. He felt extremely tired, but he had to get out. He grabbed the rail and tried to pull himself up. He panicked when he realized that he couldn’t. He didn't have the strength to pull himself up. 

Footsteps from above were heard. He doubled his efforts to stand, but he just lacked the strength. In desperation, he decided to forgo dignity and started dragging himself down the stairs on shaky arms. 

“Danny?! Danny!” A voice from behind and above floated down. He pulled himself faster and he heard the footsteps pick up the pace. He coughed even harder which caused his hand to slip on the next step. He tumbled and slid down to the next landing. He groaned and tried to push himself up. He could feel every new scrape that he just received. ‘Have to get away. For her protection.’ 

A hand landed on his shoulder and on reflex rolled over and tried to kick out. He heard a grunt and felt satisfaction as he hit his target. He aimed another kick, but his leg was caught this time. He threw a punch, hoping it was strong enough to at least stun. The head ducked and grabbed both his wrists, holding them down. He bucked and struggled as much as he could, but he could feel himself tiring. 

“Danny, stop! I’m not your enemy. It’s Steve.” Danny stopped and looked up at the person above, his chest heaving. Steve looked at him with concern. “See, buddy, you’re ok.” Danny wanted to believe him, but then he remembered the IV. 

“No. You’re not my partner. Let me go, I won’t tell you anything!” He struggled again, another coughing fit following. “I know that you have drugged me.” He coughed harder which he ignored, even as he doubled his efforts.

“Danny, please, stop. You’re going to hurt yourself.” Steve leaned more of his weight, trying to stop the weak struggling. It was of no use. The cough worried him as it sounded very harsh and painful. The SEAL thought for a moment then he leaned down and kissed Danny on the lips. 

Danny struggled for a moment until he gave in. He could recognize the feel of those lips anywhere. Steve sat back up once he felt the movement beneath him cease. “Danny, you with me, babe?”

The blonde looked at him confused for a moment. “I’m not hallucinating?”

Steve shook his head. “No, Danny. You are completely lucid. You’re in the hospital, remember? You’ve been sleeping for the last three days.” He let go of the wrists he was holding and crouched next to the Detective. “Come on. Let’s get you back into bed.” He gently grasped an arm and helped pull him up. He took most of the smaller man’s weight as they climbed back up the stairs. It took them 15 minutes to return to Danny’s room and laid him back down. By then, the Detective was shaking, sweating and coughing heavily from the effort. Steve carefully positioned him comfortably on the bed while a nurse placed a new IV.

Here, Danny protested by placing a hand on the nurses arm and moved as far away from her as he was able. “No. I-I don’t want that, please keep it away.” Steve frowned at the pleaded reaction. 

“Danny, relax, ok? You’re safe. It’s only saline mixed with vitamins and electrolytes. That’s all it is, babe.” Steve gripped his lover’s shoulder, hoping to get him to calm down. As soon as the nurse was released, he gently turned the blonde’s face to him. “Danny, what’s the last thing you remember?” Steve hoped he could distract him while the nurse made quick work of the IV.

The blonde stared at him for a long minute. “The last thing I remember was being blind and deaf before being hoisted up into the air.” He mumbled.

Steve blinked in surprise, “Do you remember the rescue? Waking up in the ER?” 

Danny shook his head. “Sorry, babe. I don’t remember anything past that.” He whispered quietly. His eyes were starting to get heavy and his body lethargic. Steve combed fingers through his hair in a comforting gesture.

“It’s alright. Get some rest. I’ll be here.” He gives a chaste kiss to Danny’s lips then places the oxygen mask that the nurse has given him to help with the cough. “Remember that I love you and you are safe.”

Danny nodded slowly before letting sleep take him.

~S~

Steve sighed as he ran his hand through Danny’s hair one last time before collapsing into his chair. He rubbed his face in frustration and anger. He listened to Danny cough in his sleep as the nurse finished up what she was doing.

“He should sleep for a few hours. I gave him a mild sedative, so it should be pretty peaceful for a little bit. I also gave him another painkiller and anti-inflammatory, it should help with his cough.” 

“What is causing him to cough? He wasn’t doing that when we brought him in.” Steve asked, perplexed on what it could be.

“It is most likely that his little escape irritated his lungs. X rays from this morning showed some fluid build up but not very much at this time. Doctor Sterling theorizes that Danny may have breathed in a lot of dust particles that have irritated his lungs. Therefore, causing slight inflammation and mucus build up. We have him on antibiotics and the IV should help flush out his system.” The nurse smiled and gently patted Steve on the shoulder. “He will be fine. I’ll make sure some food is sent up when dinner rolls around.” 

Steve nodded and gave his thanks, then the nurse left. He watched Danny sleep for a while, remembering coming back from a coffee break to find the bed empty. He remembers feeling the panic and rushing out demanding where Danny went. No one had known that their patient had disappeared.

Taking a moment, he had tried to think like Danny and on blind faith, ran into the stairs. Several flights down he saw the blonde on the floor, struggling to get up. He had then raced to him, not realizing until he got kicked in the shin that Danny wasn’t all there. He rubbed his bruised shin in remembered pain. Even barefoot, he could still kick hard just like his fist.

Now that he knows Danny is asleep, Steve got up and found the two HPD officers outside of the room. He walked out and faced them. “Who wants to tell me why the two of you were not standing outside of this door when Detective Williams got out?” He growled out angrily.

The officers looked at each other nervously. “Well, sir, I went to take a break to take care of needs and Davis here heard a commotion down the hall. He left to check it out.” Officer Hector explained.

Steve narrowed his eyes. “And you didn’t think to maybe call me to know what was going on?” Both officers looked down in embarrassment. He shook his head and sighed. “Ok, well, for now, continue your job until your relief gets here.” Once he was satisfied that his point was made, he went back into the room and continued his vigil. 

~S~

Danny was woken up by a rough shake on his shoulder. He groaned in protest to the treatment. A laugh was heard from his left. “Come on, buddy. Time to wake up. You need to eat, then you can go back to your beauty sleep.” 

He cracked his blue eyes open and was surprised how dim the light was. He recalled his last waking how bright everything seemed to be and loud. He carefully stretched as aches let themselves be known throughout his body. He looked up to see Steve sitting on the edge of the bed with a small smile. “Evening. You slept all afternoon. How are you feeling?”

“I feel really tired .” Danny mumbled and he struggled to sit up. He sighed in frustration and then looked at the SEAL. “I could use some help though.” He grumbled.

Steve smiled and helped him sit up. He slid a tray over the bed that had food on it already. Danny saw that it was a bowl of soup, jello and juice. “Sorry, buddy, but you are on a restrictive diet until your body can handle heavier food.” Steve said apologetically.

Danny sighed. “It’s fine. Honestly, it’s more than what I’ve had.” He removed the oxygen mask and picked up the spoon, carefully bringing it up to his mouth. It was bland, but warm and helped chase away the chill that seemed to constantly settle over him. He manages to eat a third of the bowl before he feels full and then pushes the bowl away.

“Come on, buddy. You want to go home, right?” Steve tried to encourage him to eat more.

“Steve, I swear if I eat more, I’m going to burst.” Danny slid down the pillows until he was lying on his side, blankets pulled tight around him. 

The SEAL sighed. “Ok, buddy. Try and get some sleep.” He moved the tray to the side of the room. He sat on the edge of the bed again and gently caressed the blonde’s cheek. “At this rate, you can go home in a couple of days.” 

“I would like that, Steve. I’m ready to go home.” 

“I know, buddy. Get some sleep. We’ll be home before you know it.” Steve kissed him gently on the head, then he sat in the chair. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finally gets to take Danny home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for you comments and Kudos. If you can't tell by now, Danny is my absolute favorite character. He just seems so realistic and relatable to some people in real life. Anyway, on to the chapter. Don't forget to leave any comments, questions and kudos. Enjoy!

It turned out to be about a week before the Detective was allowed to leave the hospital. The therapy required for Danny to get over the sensory deprivation took four days for him to recover from it. Danny was given strict instructions to eat and sleep while he signed his discharge papers. 

Once everything was signed and packed, Steve wheeled Danny out to the camaro that was sitting out front. As soon as they reached the car, Danny slowly got up and into the car. By the time he was settled, he was wiped out and struggling to keep his eyes open. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this tired.

Steve got in, started the car and carefully pulled into traffic. He glanced at his partner and gave a small laugh. “Take a nap, Danno. I’ll wake you when we get home.”

Danny sighed. “I’m sick and tired of sleeping. That’s all I do now.” He grumbled.

“Danny, you just went through hell for two months. You were starved and mostly dehydrated, of course, you are going to get tired easily. You just need to be patient. Besides, my plan is just to relax on the couch and do whatever you want to do. That includes baseball.” He reached out and gently held Danny’s hand. “Also, Grace would like to come by soon to see you. She was really worried about you.” 

The blonde smiled. “Of course. She does take after me after all.” 

“Yes. She is her father’s daughter.” 

The rest of the ride was driven in silence. Danny nodded off at some point, because he was jarred awake when the camaro was being parked in the driveway of the house. His door opened and Steve helped him out. They went to the front door and Steve unlocked it. He opened the door and led Danny in. “Welcome home.” Steve closed the door and kissed Danny on the head.

Danny sighed and felt his muscles lose some of their tension. He looked around and was happy to see that nothing had changed.

“Danny, are you ok?” Steve’s question startled him.

“Yeah, I’m fine why?”

The SEAL lifted a hand and brushed his thumb on his cheek. “Because you’re crying.” Danny lifted a hand to his own face and felt the moisture running down.

“Oh. I didn’t realize it. I guess it’s just that I’m happy to be home again. I’d never thought I would be back here.” 

Steve pulled him into a hug and held him tight. “I’m glad you’re back home, where you belong.” He tilted his chin up and kissed him deeply. He licked his lips, which parted, granting him entrance. Steve explored the inside and moaned at the wonderful sensation he was feeling. He missed this so much and was just now realizing it. All too soon, the kiss ended. Danny seemed to sag into him and he was shaking from fatigue.

“I think it’s time for a quick shower and then to bed.” Steve laughed when all he got was a grunt. He helped Danny up the stairs and to the bathroom. Knowing Danny wouldn’t be able to stand up for long, he showered with him and made sure he got clean. After, he helped him dress and laid him down in bed. He drew the covers over him and kissed him on the head. “Sleep well, sweetheart. I’ll wake you when dinner is ready.” By the time he was dressed, the Detective was completely out. 

Steve went downstairs and pulled his cell phone out. Dialing a number he knew from memory by now, he looked in his fridge, trying to figure out what to make. The person answered on the third ring.

“Hey, Uncle Steve.”

“Hi, Gracie. How was school?” He picked up a head of wilted lettuce in disgust and tossed it in the trash. 

“It was ok. Nothing special happened, but as always, have a lot of homework.” She laughed a moment. “How’s Dad?”

“Currently out like a light, but he is very happy to be home.” He tossed a bag of rotten meat into the trash followed by some potatoes.

“That’s good. I wish I could have seen Danno at the hospital.”

“I know you do, but like I told you, he wasn’t strong enough to see anyone while he was there.”

“Do you think I could come by tomorrow? I would feel so much better if I could see him.”

Steve sighed. “Sorry, Gracie, but let’s give your Dad a couple of days to just be home. He has been through a lot and needs time. I will ask him later when he would like to see you, ok?” He chunked some more items into the trash as they were molding.

“Ok.” Was her disappointing response. “I also wanted to ask if it would be possible if I stayed there with you both? I know Dad needs to be cared for and I really want to help.” 

Steve thought this over for a minute. “Maybe just on the weekends. I’ll have to talk to your father about all of this first as well as your mom.”

Grace made an annoyed noise. “If mom had it her way, she would have had that stupid service already. I don’t care what she thinks.”

Steve frowned. “Grace, don’t disrespect your mother. She meant well about the service, but was misplaced. We still need to speak with her since you half live with her. It is the right thing to do.”

She sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just worried about Dad.”

“I know, Gracie. Your Dad is going to be fine. He has some healing to do, but he will bounce back.” He hoped he sounded more convincing than he felt.

There was noise in the background. “OK!” Grace yelled away from the phone. “I’ve got to go. Dinner is ready. Tell Dad I love and miss him. Hope to see you soon.”

“I will. Good night, Grace.” Steve hung up the phone and glared at the now mostly full trash can. “Looks like I need to go to the store.” He pressed the speed dial 2 on his phone and waited for it to be picked up. “Hey, Chin, sorry to bother you, but would it be possible if you can bring me some things from the store? I don’t want to leave Danny here by himself.”

“Sure, just text me what you need and Kono and I will pick it up for ya.” Chin cheerfully answered.

“Thanks, I appreciate it. Talk to you soon.” He hung up and quickly texted all the items he would need to make some basic soup along with some fresh fruit and meals for himself. He would pay back the older man later.

Once sent, he sat on the couch with a beer and watched whatever show was on the discovery channel. He wondered if progress had been made on the case. He will have to find out when the cousins arrived.

~S~

It was three hours later when the knock was heard at the door. Steve quickly got up from the couch and opened the door before another knock occurred. He wanted Danny to sleep as long as possible. He smiled when he saw the cousins standing in front of him, arms laden with bags.

“Hey, you two, come in. Thanks for picking this up for me.” Steve stepped aside and let the cousins through. They went to the kitchen and placed down their burdens.

“No problem, brah. Anything for our ohana.” Chin replied with a smile.

“How’s our favorite haole?” Kono asked while putting up items from the bags. 

Steve sighed and picked out items for the soup he was planning on making. “Asleep right now. He seems ok.” He pulled out a large pot and cutting board and started cutting up the vegetables that were bought.

“As Danny would say, you have aneurysm face. What are you thinking?” Chin quietly mentioned.

He glanced at the older man for a moment. “The fact that he seems fine. He only had a small incident in the hospital, but since then, he seems calm and keeps telling me that he is fine.” He worriedly chewed his bottom lip. “I don’t know. I feel like the worst has yet to happen.”

Chin nodded. “I see.” He thought for a moment. “It’s possible that Danny hasn’t had the thought of being free sunk in yet. He was subjected to who knows what kind of hell and he might be just feeling like this may be all a dream.” Steve and Kono had both stopped what they were doing and looking at the wiser man. “Everyone deals with trauma differently. Right now, Danny may be in denial and just allowing himself the thought that he has escaped into his mind. He may believe that he is still physically with his tormentors and that he has simply lost his mind. We just need to give him time and be there for him when the true reality finally sinks in.” 

Steve smiled. “You are a very wise man, Chin.” He went back to making the soup. “I just hope he catches up on his sleep before that happens.”

As if a higher power was listening to him, a scream was heard that made the three jump. Steve sighed and quickly dried his hands. “I suppose that denial may have just expired.” He muttered before tossing the towel on the counter and bolted for the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve gives comfort and Danny is freaked out.
> 
> I can't wait to hear from everyone. Thanks and enjoy!

Another scream is heard but much more quiet than the first. He hears the cousins behind him and stops at the bedroom door. “Wait here.” He tells them hurriedly before he opens the door and enters. He makes sure to close the door behind him, ensuring privacy. 

Danny is sitting on the side of the bed, arms wrapped around himself and is rocking slightly. Steve cautiously moves forward until he is in front of the distraught man. He kneels down and looks up at Danny's face. He is crying...no, almost sobbing.

“Danny, babe? What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” He slowly placed a hand on a knee and gently squeezed it. He got no reply to his questions, only more sobbing. “Danno, I can’t help unless you tell me what’s going on.” 

In the next moment, he finds himself lying on his back on the floor and a heavy weight on top of him. Arms wrapped tightly around his neck and he could feel hot moisture soaking through his shirt. Danny’s body is shaking harder than a leaf being blown by the wind and Steve can hear him gasping for breath through the tears. Steve wrapped his arms around the smaller man and held him tight, waiting for the tears to pass.

The SEAL doesn’t know how long they stayed like this, but his back starts to hurt by the time the tears have begun to slow. Eventually, Danny weakly pushes himself up and leans against the bed, scrubbing his bearded face. Steve sits up, rubbing his back to relieve the ache, and takes note how utterly exhausted Danny looks.

“I’m sorry.” The Detective manages to say between hiccups. Tears are still leaking out of his ice blue eyes and Steve can see the pain and anguish swimming in their depths. 

He shuffles over until he is sitting next to the blonde and he wraps an arm around the blonde’s shoulders. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.” He gives a loving kiss to Danny’s temple. “Can you tell me what’s going on in that head of yours?”

Danny cleared his throat and wiped his eyes on his wrist. “I-I-I just thought that everything happening the last few days was a dream.” He swallowed and took a shaky breath. “Then when I went to bed this time, I felt like I was back in that….warehouse. I thought I had been right and I hadn't been rescued at all.” He looked at Steve, tears glistening. “I could feel everything. The pain, the way their hands felt, their scent. I had believed that my dream had ended.” Danny's voice cracked and he looked to the floor. He had to swallow a few times before he could speak again. “I wanted it all to end and I begged them to kill me.” He buried his fingers into Steve’s shirt and looked at him, his teary eyes wide with terror. “I begged, Steve, on hands and knees….they were going to do it. One of them pulled a gun. But... as soon as he fired, I woke up. Here, in our bed. It was then I realized that this was real and...I didn't know how to…. “ He stopped and sobbed again, crying in relief. 

Steve sighed, holding the blonde closer by pulling him into his lap. He stayed silent, afraid to break this moment of trust and realization. 

This time, the crying lasted longer and eventually Steve pulled them up onto the bed where Danny could cuddle up to him comfortably. He combed his fingers through the gold strands and gave kisses on the head sporadically.

Sometime later, Steve suddenly realized that the room was quiet. Looking down, he noticed that Danny had fallen asleep from exhaustion. He placed another gentle kiss on his lover’s head before he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him for a while.

~S~

When Steve woke up, the sun had set and the only light in the room was the lamp next to the bed. Steve groaned as he stretched out his aching muscles. He wasn’t sure what woke him up for a moment until he realized that he was alone in the bed. Sitting up quickly, he looked around the room. 

“Danny?” He stood up and looked on the floor on Danny’s side. It was empty. 

Then, the sound of water running got his attention. Steve walked to the bathroom and opened the door. Steam filled the entire room and the mirror had fogged over. The SEAL looked into the shower and sighed. Danny was sitting on the floor of the shower, staring at nothing. Steve got undressed and slipped into the shower. 

He kneeled down on the hard tile. “Danny, are you ok?” He wanted to pull the smaller man close, but could tell by the body language that it would be better not to touch right now. Without his clothes, Steve could easily make out the emancipated body. The blonde’s ribs were easily showing through the skin and Steve could tell that the muscle that was previously there had diminished. 

Blue eyes snapped into focus and looked at him. They were dull and exhausted looking. “No.” The word was breathed out quietly that Steve had to strain to hear it. “Were they arrested?”

Steve sighed and after a moment of hesitation, gently held Danny’s hands. “I’m sorry, but no they weren't. They managed to get away before the cops breached.” He slowly pulled Danny until Steve was able to cuddle the smaller man close. “Don’t worry, you’re safe.” 

“No, no.” Danny pushed against him, shocking the SEAL. He looked up and grasped his shoulders tight. “Steve, those men will be back. I didn’t tell them what they wanted.” Desperation and panic colored his voice, eyes wide. Steve noticed that he was shaking.

“Danny, babe, please calm down. You’re safe here. I’m here and the cousins are downstairs. No one is going to come in without us knowing.” He gently placed his hands on either side of the blonde’s face and drew him close for a small kiss. “Why don’t we get out and get something to eat. It’s been awhile since breakfast.” 

They stood there in the shower spray for several long moments. Danny was the first to break eye contact and let out a shaky sigh. “Ok. I guess we should.” Steve noted he was a little calmer but not completely settled. He was anxious and nervous about something. The SEAL wanted to ask what the blonde knew that these men would not give up trying to get their answer. However, he resisted, realizing that now was not the time to be asking such a sensitive question.

Steve turned off the water and helped Danny out. The two men dried off and got dressed before heading downstairs.

They found the two cousins sitting at the kitchen table with some coffee. “Glad to see you two back amongst the living.” Chin cheerfully said. Koni gave a huge smile and got up. 

She hugged Danny as hard as she could. “Oh my gosh, I'm so glad to see you. We've missed you,” The young woman gave the short Detective a kiss on the cheek. 

Danny groaned at the tightness of the hug. Since he lost muscle mass, he was more fragile than he used to be. “Kono, too tight.” He managed to grit out. 

She immediately let him go. “Oh, I'm so sorry, brah. I didn't think about injuries.” She muttered.

Danny waved it off with a wave of his hand. Then without warning, his knees gave out. Steve quickly grabbed him under his arms, keeping him from falling. “Whoa, easy, buddy. Let's sit you down before you fall.” Kono pulled out a chair and helped Danny into the chair.

Once he was satisfied that his lover was ok, Steve turned to the kitchen. “Ok, back to making that soup.”

“Actually, Steve, Kono and I made it. I hope you don't mind but we left it on the stove to keep it warm.” Chin piped up. “We checked on the both of you early and you were asleep.”

The SEAL smiled. “That's great. Thank you.” He quickly located some bowls and water bottles. He spooned soup into the two bowls he retrieved and set it in front of Danny along with a bottle of water and a spoon. He sat down after grabbing some crackers. “Smells good.” He carefully took a bite. “Tastes good as well. Danno, try to eat all of it today, ok?” He said, glancing at the blonde and pointing at his bowl.

Danny blinked at Steve. “You're kidding, right, babe? This is huge, I'll be lucky to eat half of it.” He complained. 

The cousins were shocked at the statement. “Brah, hate to break it to ya, but that is a small portion.” Chin stated.

Steve grasped one of Danny's hands. “Please try, babe. I know it's hard, but the Doctor did say you need to gain a lot of weight. That reminds me, she also wants you to start exercising once you feel a little stronger.” 

Danny groaned. “Fine. I will try but no promises.” He sighed and took a bite of his food. He moaned when the flavors hit. “This is really good.”

The three laughed at his remark. 

Unfortunately, he was not able to eat it all but did manage about half of the soup before he declared that he was full. The cousins took the bowls while Steve helped him to the couch. He got them comfortable where Danny was leaning against him with his head on his shoulder. Chin draped a light blanket on the Detective and sat next to him. Kono took the chair. They turned on the TV and watched a movie that was on. Half way through the movie, Steve looked down and noticed that Danny was fast asleep. He smiled and relaxed more into the couch watching the movie. It wasn't long until he followed the blonde into sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve makes breakfast and shows his caring side.
> 
> A very sweet chapter with some fluff. Don't worry, answers will be coming soon. Thank you for all of the support and can't wait to hear from everyone. Enjoy!

The next several days seem to pass quickly for Danny. It was still hard to wake up every morning in his own bed. He had gotten so used to the cage he had been forced in that the mattress started to hurt his back. The last two nights, he had woken up in pain and he would try to go back to sleep. Eventually he would give up, grab a pillow and sleep on the floor. Steve was highly confused the first night that it had happened.

It was Friday and Grace was supposed to come over after school. Steve stretched as he glanced at the clock and was not surprised to see it was 5:45 AM. He reached out to the other side of the bed and was startled for a moment to find it empty. He sighed and rolled over until he was looking over the edge of the bed. Danny was curled up around his pillow asleep and snoring softly. 

Steve quietly got out of bed and snuck to the other side. Kneeling down, he gently shook the blonde’s shoulder. “Danny, wake up.” A groan was his answer and blue slitted eyes looked up at him. 

“W’at t’me is it?” His speech was slurred from sleep.

“Early, buddy. Come on, let’s get you up to bed.” Steve gently grabbed an arm and tried to get his partner up. But Danny pulled his arm back. 

“No. Leave me here.” Danny tried to curl further around the pillow.

Steve was confused. “Why? Won’t you be more comfortable in bed?” 

Danny shook his head. “It hurts to sleep on that. Floor is better.” He muttered. 

Steve frowned in concern, but left him be. “Ok, buddy. Sorry to wake you. Go back to sleep and I’ll wake you in a little while for breakfast.” He got up and grabbed the light blanket from the bed, spreading it on top of the blonde. He went downstairs, changed into his workout clothes and went down to the beach to start his daily swim.

By 7:30, the SEAL was walking into the kitchen, finishing drying while pulling things out to make for breakfast. He pulled out some eggs and bacon in the hope that the fat will help bring Danny’s weight up. While he was cooking the bacon, he called the doctor.

“Doctor Sterling.” Came a professional but cheery voice.

Steve cracked the eggs into a bowl. “Good morning, Doctor. This is Steve McGarrett. We met last week.”

A small laugh came over the phone. “Yes, Commander, good to hear from you. How is the Detective?”

“Doing better, but I do have a concern.” Steve got straight to the point while he let his frustration out on the eggs he was whipping up. “For the last several days, I have found Danny sleeping on the floor. This morning he tells me that the mattress hurts too much to sleep on. Is this normal?” He pushed the bowl aside, placed a new pan on the stove and flipped the bacon, watching the strips shrink as they cooked.

A few moments of silence followed his question. “Commander, let me ask you this. While in captivity, do you know where they were holding him?”

“From what we have gathered in a large cage that didn’t seem to have anything in it but a bucket. Danny hasn’t told me anything at this time, but from what we have gathered at the crime scene, that seems to be the logical place to hold someone prisoner.” He pulled the bacon out and poured the eggs into the other pan.

“I see. You said he was missing for two months, correct?” Steve confirmed her question. “Then more than likely, his body has learned to sleep on the hard ground and without any support, his muscles are not used to soft surfaces. I would recommend possibly placing a board or a hard surface with some cushion to help him acclimate to sleeping in a bed again. It will take time, but eventually, he should get used to those kinds of surfaces once more.” 

“Thank you, Doctor.” 

“You’re welcome. How is he eating meals?” 

“Still eating very small amounts at a time."

“I see, the good thing is he is still eating. To help with his food intake, slowly increase his food portion size.” Annette responded. “His system will not be used to heavy foods yet. Simple meals with high carbs is a good place to start. Rice is very easy on the system as well as pasta with very little butter on it. I would give him small amounts of lean protein into his meals and slowly add more at each meal. Start with a palm sized amount and slowly increase until he is eating at a normal amount. Now, Commander, listen carefully. There will be times that he may not feel that hungry or want to eat very much, but that’s ok. Encourage him to eat more, but don’t push him. He will know best on what he can handle.”

Steve nodded. "Understood."

"Now, I would like for him to come by my office for a check up sometime next week. I also recommend looking into a counselor or a psychologist ASAP. The sooner he gets the help he needs, the faster his recovery.” She quickly pointed out.

“Yes, ma’am. I will give you a call when we decide to stop by.”

“Excellent. Thanks for the call and don’t hesitate to call again if you have a question.” 

“Will do. Have a good day.”

“Thanks. You too.” She hung up.

Steve put his phone away and decided to cut up some fruit to go with the eggs. Once he had served everything into bowls, he went upstairs to the bedroom. 

Danny was in the same position that he had found him earlier this morning. He crouched down and gently shook his sleeping love. “Danny, time to wake up. Breakfast is ready.”

The blonde gave a full body stretch and grumbled about it being way too early. He snuggled into the blanket and pillow, wanting to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, the poking continued. 

“Come on. You need to eat. Afterwards, you can take a nap outside on the lanai. The sun will be good for you.” Steve pulled the blanket off and gently pulled on an arm until he was sitting up. 

“Fine.” Danny sighed and carefully got up. He was still shaky on standing and walking but at least now he could do it on his own for short periods of time. “Let me shower first.”

Steve kissed him lovingly. “Ok, Danno, I'll check in 20 if you're not down by then.” Then he let the shorter man go so he could clean up. The bathroom door closed and then the shower was running.

The SEAL went back downstairs and ate his breakfast with a small glass of his green smoothie. Once done with that, he worked on the dishes while he waited on Danny.

18 minutes later and Steve heard footsteps on the stairs. He turned and smiled at what he saw. He quickly dried his hands and went over to the blonde, giving him a deep kiss. 

“You shaved and you look much better this morning.” Steve commented noticing the shadows under the other man's eyes have lessened. 

“Thanks.” Danny raked his fingers through his hair. “Although this is too long for my liking.” He gave a pitiful laugh, while combing back the long strands that stopped at his neck. “I guess it will have to wait for now.”

Steve smiled and pressed his lips to Danny's forehead. “We'll worry about that later. Right now, you need to eat. “ He gently pulled him to the table and pushed him to a chair. “Sorry if the eggs are cold.”

The blonde waved it off. “I'm sure it will be fine, Steve.” He picked up his fork and began to eat. Steve frowned with concern at how compliant Danny was being with everything.

“Ok, I'm going to go shower real quick.” Steve said heading to the door. Danny gave a thumbs up, focused on getting food in his mouth.

Steve went upstairs and grabbed clothes while making a phone call. 

“Morning, Boss. What's up?” Kono cheerfully replied.

“Do you know someone that can cut hair that can make a house call?” Steve entered the bathroom and shut the door. 

“Sure, Boss. My cousin Barbra is a professional hairstylist for 10 years. Let me guess, Danny needs a cut?”

“Yes. I figured if it was done here he won't get as stressed out.”

“Got it. I'll give her a call and text you what time she will be by.” 

“Thanks, Kono. I appreciate it. Talk to you soon.” He hung up and placed his phone on the counter so he could start his shower.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danny get some cuddles. Kono brings over a visitor.
> 
> Thank you and I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. On to the next chapter!

Steve finished his usual three minute shower and got dressed. He was wearing his usual cargos and t-shirt. Throwing on socks and boots, he went back downstairs to the kitchen. Danny was staring out the window and Steve saw only half of his plate had been eaten along with a few pieces of fruit. 

“Going to eat more?” Trying to not sound frustrated. This had become a normal routine. Getting Danny to eat was like pulling teeth with pliers. 

The blonde glanced at him then at the plate. Steve could see him thinking about his response. He decided on a different tactic. “Could you try a few more bites? You don't have to eat all of it.” 

Silence followed his plea for a long minute. Then Danny took a deep breath. “I'll try but no promises.” Muttered the blonde as he picked up a piece of fruit and nibbled on it.

Steve smiled. “Thank you. That's all I ask.” He said relieved. 

They sat there in silence looking out to the ocean for a few minutes, in which time Danny managed to force down five more pieces of fruit before pushing everything away. Rubbing his stomach, he leaned back in his chair and groaned. “Now I really feel stuffed like a turkey.”

The SEAL laughed at the response as he took the dishes. He cleaned up the breakfast dishes before he led the way outside and set up the hammock. “Here, Danno.” He gestured for him to lie down.

Danny thought for a moment. “Only if you join me.” He said quietly. Steve smiled and agreed, even though he had other things he wanted to do. He wasn't going to deny his love anything right now since he was still recovering.

They both climbed into the hammock and Steve brought Danny close so he could snuggle up to him. They laid there in silence as the wind from the ocean blew up onto shore, pushing the hammock causing it to swing lazily. The SEAL combed his fingers through the blonde hair that was just under his chin. 

“Do you know what they looked like?” The whispered question took Steve by surprise. 

“No, babe. No one knows. Simmons and his men tried to see, but they were unable to get a good look.” He squeezed tighter to the thin body. “I think that you might be the only one who can identify them.”

Danny slightly shook his head. “I can’t. They wore hoods when I could see or I was blindfolded or they put so many bright lights in my face, I was not able to see any of them. But…” He trailed off and curled in more to Steve’s body. Silence followed for a long minute.

“But what, Danno? You can tell me.” Steve used his free hand to lift the blonde’s face until he could see his eyes. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere and this right here is real.” He placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Danny chewed his bottom lip. It seemed he was debating with himself on what he should say. “Steve, I may not have seen them, but I do know their voices and how each of their hands felt.” He shuddered as he looked away and stared at the ocean. “There were six of them. Some had American accents, specifically East Coast. Some had Italian accents and they spoke in it often amongst themselves.” He closed his eyes, keeping the terror and tears at bay. “I knew that I could just tell them what they wanted and I would be home again, but...I couldn’t forget my oath when I became a police officer.” He opened his eyes and looked into Steve’s eyes. “Even if that meant I would never get to see you again.” Tears finally made their escape, his blue eyes full of anguish.

Steve gently brushed the tears away. “Danny, you did what you thought was right. I’m sorry you had to make that decision, but at least we are together again. No matter what happens, know that I will always love you. I am so proud of you for what you have accomplished.” He lifted Danny’s face up and this time he placed a loving kiss on those soft, warm lips that he has missed.

The two made out for a while, enjoying the reconnection after being apart for so long. Danny was the first to pull away and he laid his onto the brunette’s chest, feeling exhausted. Steve chuckled as he continued combing those soft locks that he loved. “Relax, Danny. I’ve got you and you’re safe. Get some sleep.” Steve lovingly encouraged. A few minutes later, Steve quietly laughed as the blonde slept, snoring softly.

He laid there for an hour, enjoying the beautiful day. His phone beeped and he carefully pulled it out without disturbing Danny. A text message from Kono appeared on the screen informing him that the hairdresser will be arriving in an hour. He replied to her, making sure to include a thank you. Then he carefully wiggled himself out of the hammock and went inside after ensuring Danny was comfortable. He picked up the house, started laundry and checked all of his hidden weapons. Checking periodically at the hammock through the window, he saw Danny was sleeping soundly.

A knock on the door drew his attention. He answered the door to see Kono and a lady that was shorter than her with dark brown pixie cut hair with streaks of blonde coming through. She had a little bit of curves and a soft round face. She wore black capris and a colorful hawaiian shirt. Beside her was a case on wheels.

“Hey, Boss. This is my cousin Barbara. We call her Barb for short.” Kono introduced her. “She is very good at what she does.”

She held out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Commander. Kono tells me your partner needs a cut. I’m ready to start whenever he is.” She smiled.

Steve shook her hand and stepped aside, allowing them to enter. Kono and Barb stepped in while Steve closed the door behind them. The hairdresser looked around for a moment. “Lovely place. Very homey.” She beamed at him. “Now, where would you like me to set up?” 

The SEAL pointed towards the back. “I was thinking out on the lanai. Would that be ok?”

“Oh, sure, love. That will save me having to put a cloth down on the floor. The birds love hair that they can use to build their nests with.” Barb giggled. “I always scatter hair around after a work day. The little darlings are so cute when they try to get the most.”

Steve gave a small smile. “Sounds nice. Did Kono tell you about Danny?” He went back to business.

She nodded. “Yes, the poor dear. She didn't give me detail, only that he had been missing and gone through something difficult. Don't you worry.” She waved off his next words before he could say them. “I've worked with trauma victims and cancer patients many times.”

Steve nodded. “Ok. Kono, help Barb set up. You know where everything is. I'm going to go wake Danny.”

The SEAL left the two women to get set up while he made his way across the yard to the hammock. Danny hadn't moved the whole hour since Steve got up.

He went to the side where the sun was at Danny's back and gently shook a shoulder. “Danno, time to wake up.” A groan was his answer but he didn't seem to move. “Come on, I have a solution for that head of hair of yours.”

A single blue eye slit open. “If you are the one that is going to cut it, I am going to have to pass. Besides, I was actually having a pleasant dream.”

Steve laughed. “No, buddy, I asked Kono for someone she knows to come by. She is a professional hairstylist. Come on. You'll feel better once it's cut.” He gently poked and pulled until Danny sighed and got up. 

“Alright, fine. Hopefully it will be quick.” The last part he muttered nervously. 

They made their way to the lanai where the girls had everything laid out. Barb smiled and gave a small wave. “Hello, dearie. My name is Barb and I'll have you looking good in no time.”

Steve blinked in surprise at the more muted cheerfulness that he saw than what he had received. Danny merely nodded, wringing his hands nervously. 

“Come sit once you're ready. Kono has already told me how you like your hair.” She paused a moment. “Now, I'm going to get a drink and be right back.” She gave another smile and went inside. 

Steve was grateful for the strategic retreat which allowed Danny to settle without being overwhelmed.

Danny was suddenly having second thoughts about this and started to back up. Steve gently placed his hands on his shoulders. “You ok?”

“I'm sorry. I don't know if I can do this.” His voice shook as he spoke. He tried backing away more but Steve wouldn't let him. 

“Come on, babe. You can do it. I'll be right next to you the whole time. You can just watch the waves that way you don't have to see anything.” Steve said but he stayed where he was. He let go of the blonde allowing him to choose to leave if he decided to.

Danny gnawed on his bottom lip, uncertain. Then he took a breath and looked at Steve. “You won't leave me?”

Steve's heart clenched at the childlike question. He gave a small kiss to his cheek. “No, babe. I'll stay the whole time.” 

“Ok.” He breathed out then shakily moved to the chair and gingerly sat down. He looked ready to bolt at a moments notice. Kono had stayed out of the conversation and watched. She felt grief sweep through her as she noticed that her role model was a shadow of himself. More quiet and still than she was used to.

“Alrighty.” Barb's cheerful voice broke Kono out of her thoughts. The older woman smiled as she stopped in front of the blonde. “I thought you might be thirsty with this warm weather. You two as well, have some water.” She held out three bottles of water, the look in her eye saying they better not argue.

They all grabbed one and took a drink.

“Now, Danny, I'm going to start wetting that hair and brushing for a while. Ok, dearie?” Danny gave a hesitant nod, but stayed silent. “Great. Kono was telling me how you usually have it styled. It will be easy peasy.” She picked up the spray bottle that was sitting in Danny's line of sight and carefully began spraying the long tangled locks.

Danny flinched at the feel of it and he felt his hands begin to shake. The feel of the spray was reminding him of his time in captivity when water was poured over him so they could use electrical torture. The feel of the comb helped bring him back to reality.

“Danny, I was told you have a beautiful daughter. What's her name?” He blinked at the question. It was sudden, but it made his brain come to an abrupt halt. 

Steve went to answer, but Barb waved him off. “Hush, now. I believe Danny can speak for himself, isn't that right?” A gentle pat on the shoulder helped him loosen his tongue finally. Barb was helping him relax as well as making sure he was in the moment.

“Grace. Her name is Grace.” He finally was able to mutter.

“Such a lovely name. I imagine she must be graceful. How old?” 

“She's 15.”

Barb gave a small laugh. “A wonderful age. Although I could have gone without the drama with my two girls. Always saying they have nothing to wear or the shoes won't match that new outfit. Am I right?” 

Danny gave a small smile. “Very true.”

Steve slowly sat down on the chair he had pulled over. He was amazed at how well Barb was engaging Danny in conversation. It was very easy topics and the blonde could never resist talking about his daughter. The SEAL did notice that the hairdresser had already begun to cut, but it seemed that Danny hadn't noticed.

The next half hour went by and Danny appeared relaxed by the end of it. 

After one last snip, Barb stepped back. “All finished, dearie. And I must say, you look handsome.” She exchanged her shears for two mirrors. Handing one to Danny, she held the second behind him. “What do you think, sugar?”

“Looks good.” Danny said after clearing his throat. Even though she was gentle and helped him stay grounded, he was ready to bolt. 

As if reading his mind, Steve stood up. “Why don't you go take a quick shower to get rid of those loose hairs. I'll show our guests out.” Danny nodded, grateful for the excuse. He thanked Barb politely and concentrated on walking inside. As soon as he was out of sight, he ran up the stairs as fast as he could to the bedroom and closed the door. He let himself fall into bed and curled up around a pillow. 

Meanwhile, Steve helped clean up the mess and pack up the stylist's tools. “Thank you, Barb. You have no idea how grateful I am on how gentle you were.”

She smiled. “Of course. It's a shame how many people must go through such evil in the world. The least I can do is show some kindness to hopefully convince them that not everyone is like that.”

Steve nodded. “How much do I owe you?” He asked, reaching for his wallet. 

She waved a hand at him. “This one's on me. He has been through much and as a way to thank you all for your service.” Her smile fell and her eyes softened. “Will he be ok? I could tell that he felt nervous.”

Steve sighed. “He should be. It's still early in his recovery. I thank you again for your service. Kono, take Barb out for dinner on 5-0's dime.”

Kono smiled. “If you say so, Boss. Come on, Barb. I know this really good place. You'll like it.” Steve showed the two ladies out and tried to think of something enticing and easy for Danny to eat.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace comes for a visit. Danny opens up to Steve.
> 
> Thank you for the support and look forward to your thoughts. Enjoy! :D

Dinner ended up being a chicken stir fry with rice where Steve made sure that spices were very light and sauce on the side. Grace had come over after school just as planned. The reunion between father and daughter had been tearful. Even now two hours later, the two of them were snuggled on the couch enjoying each other. The plan for Grace to help in Danny's recovery was restricted to the weekends. During the week she was to only concentrate on her school work. That was the decision that both parents had agreed on, much to the teenager's disappointment.

He gave Danny's plate a small portion without sauce. His own was piled a good amount and drowning in sauce and Grace had hers in the middle of the two. 

Earlier the SEAL had gone up to check on Danny. Steve smiled when he remembered seeing that Danny had indeed taken a shower and changed into soft sweats and one of Steve's t-shirts. The blonde had been asleep and Steve was glad because he had looked so peaceful. He had noticed the dark smudges under the eyes had begun to slowly fade, but this also made him nervous since there hasn’t been an incident of nightmares as of yet.

Once dinner was ready, he took the plates to the table. “Hey, you two, dinner is ready.” He called towards the living room. A minute later, Grace was helping Danny to his chair. His balance was off due to being tired, but it didn't seem to bother him. 

Danny looked at his plate then at Steve's. “What, Danno?” Steve wasn't sure what the problem was.

“How come my plate is devoid of sauce?”

Steve gave a small smile, glad to hear an actual interest of food for once. “Sorry, babe, doctor's orders. We pretty much have to reintroduce certain foods back into your system. Which means no sauce for you, but I did add in a little spice and butter.”

Danny glared for a moment before he let out a defeated sigh. “Fine.” He picked up his fork and stabbed for his first bite. 

Grace gave a small giggle. “Dad, it's not that bad.”

Danny looked at his daughter. “True. I suppose it could be worse...like eating a bowl of worms.” 

Grace laughed hysterically, but Steve could see a haunted look in the blonde's eyes as well as the hint of sad undertones in his voice. Steve wondered what kind of food the Detective had been subjected to.   
The rest of dinner was filled with laughter and Grace telling them about school.

“Can you do the dishes, please, Grace?” Steve asked once dinner was finished. The teenager nodded and quickly took the dishes away. 

Steve scooted his chair closer to the blonde, making sure the teen would not be able to hear their conversation. As soon as all of the dishes were cleared and Grace busy in the kitchen, Steve turned to his partner.

“You ok?” He reached out and gently held one of the blonde's hands.

Danny sighed. “I'm fine, Steve. Can we please not have any of these conversations right now? I just want a normal evening.”

Steve sighed, but was reluctant to push Danny further with Grace here. The blonde would never forgive him if he made a scene with his daughter here. “Ok. I can do that.” He pulled Danny into a hug, then gave a loving kiss. He poured his love and patience into that kiss, hoping that Danny understood that he could wait.

He felt Danny melt in his embrace followed by the warm droplets of tears. Steve pulled back and just held the smaller man to him as he silently cried.

~S~

The rest of the evening was stress free and fun. They played card games for a few hours and then they watched TV. When 10 pm rolled around, both Williams were falling asleep.

Steve had sent the two to bed, ignoring the teens protests. He wasn't all that tired for some reason, so he stayed up with his laptop using the headboard as a brace.

He glanced at the clock and saw that it was 1:13 am. He still felt wide awake and he wasn't sure why. He turned to watch Danny, who seemed to be deeply asleep. It looked peaceful and innocent to him with the moonlight streaming in to illuminate the gold in his blonde hair, causing it to glow silver. Steve smiled and very lightly glided his fingertips along the strands. 

He went back to his computer to work on more paperwork for the Governor. Steve worked for another hour when he started to feel uneasy. 

Carefully closing his laptop and setting it on the nightstand, he listened, trying to get an idea on what was causing such uneasiness. 

The moan and fast breathing beside him drew his attention to Danny. It seemed that peaceful nights were now over.

Steve gently shook the shoulder of his partner. “Danny. Danny, wake up.” He said, trying to not be too loud to scare him.

Danny groaned louder and started to shift as if trying to fight something weakly. Then he heard the most gut wrenching tone he had ever heard.

“Nooo! Please, stop ...can't say where or who ...please, god, noooo. Don't want that.”

He sounded desperate to whomever he was talking to. He shook harder. “Danny, babe, you're having a nightmare. Wake up. It's not real.”

Finally, blue eyes shot open and he freaked. Half yelling, Danny fell out of bed and scrambled backwards until his back hit the wall. Curling into a ball, he held his hands up in a defensive position. “Stop. I can't. I can't.” He sobbed out.

Steve quickly followed and grabbed both hands gently. “Danny, it's ok. You're home and safe. No one is here to hurt you. You're ok.” 

The blonde stopped moving, panting hard from his terror. He glanced up, slowly lowering his arms until he was making eye contact. “Steve?” He croaked.

The SEAL smiled. “I'm here. You're safe at home.”

Danny watched carefully for a moment then launched himself into the SEAL's embrace and sobbed. Steve held tight, letting him get everything out while rubbing his back and whispering encouragement.

At some point, Danny finally calms down. He sits there, feeling the warmth and safety that is wrapped around him. He was still getting used to that feeling. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like this. So he soaks it up and tries to ingrain it into his memory.

Steve kisses his temple lovingly. “You ok, Danny?”

The blonde nodded his head. He didn't trust his voice enough to speak yet.

“Ok, but can we possibly move this back up to the bed? My butt has gone numb.”

Danny nodded and followed the SEAL's movements of getting off the floor, then onto the bed. Steve positioned them so that they were comfortable and he could finally relax his back muscles. He has had to stay in one place with a painful back before, but he didn't want to suffer that kind of pain if he didn't have to.

“Do you want to talk about the dream? Seemed pretty intense.” Steve asked quietly. He combed his fingers through the semi-sweaty blonde hair, hoping to give comfort.

There was silence for a few minutes before Danny cleared his throat. When he spoke, the voice cracked and shook. “While I was captive, they didn’t bring me much food. When they did, it was ...repulsive. At first I refused to eat, but as time went on, I could feel myself getting weaker. Eventually, I would force myself to eat some of it when they weren’t watching.” A shudder ran through his thin frame.

“What were you given?” Steve hesitantly asked. He could feel his stomach clenching into knots at what kind of answer he would get.

“At first it was moldy bread. I tossed those back in their face.” A sad chuckle came out. “But then it got worse. Moldy cheese, spoiled meat and then they started bringing ...bugs. Mostly roaches or crickets. The worst was the worms. One day, they brought over a can and I thought maybe they were going to actually give me food I could eat. Hoping it was beans or something. They dumped it right in front of me and I was shocked to see it was worms.” Danny swallowed hard and Steve could feel the muscles working where his throat rested on his side. “They never forced me to eat, but I thought at one point that if I didn’t get some kind of food soon, I just might starve. So...I ...made myself eat some of the bugs or bread that was tossed at me.”

Steve thought he was going to vomit, but resisted the urge. He had been captured before during his time in the SEALs but at least he had been given edible food. What Danny went through was beyond inhumane. He squeezed his lover tighter. “I’m so sorry, Danny. I wish you didn’t have to go through that.” Suddenly, realization dawned at him when he remembered the joke Danny made at dinner. He kissed Danny’s temple while he fought back tears of his own. “But you don’t have to worry about that now. You’re home and safe. Where you will be eating proper food.”

Danny gave a small smile. “Thanks, Steve.” He curled into the SEAL, enjoying the warmth. It wasn’t long before he was asleep once more. 

Steve gave another gentle kiss as he pulled the covers over them. “Sleep well, buddy. I promise that I will find the bastards and kill them.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny starts the next step to his recovery. 
> 
> Thanks for the support. Hope everyone is doing ok during this crazy time in the world. Enjoy!

The next five days proved to be challenging and exhausting. Whatever sleep that Danny had gained was quickly lost through the nights. 

Monday was Danny's first check up at the hospital. Doctor Sterling was quick and was pleased with his progress. She gave a prescription for anti-anxiety medicine and told him to start with easy strength exercises at home.

Tuesday was the first session with a psychologist. Steve waited outside while Danny went inside the office. It wasn't long, maybe 35 minutes before an assistant came to him and told him he was needed in the office. Without hesitation, he went through the door and found the Doctor looking concerned at her patient. Steve turned to find Danny curled into a ball in the corner of the couch. He looked oblivious to what was happening around him.

After 20 minutes of talking, petting and kisses, Danny returned to reality. He was exhausted and leaned heavily against Steve.

The Doctor ran through the plan and wanted to see Danny everyday to start and for two hours each session. Steve grimaced but agreed to the plan.

Wednesday started early with the therapy appointment which was then followed up with heading to 5-0. Steve, unfortunately, had to go into work, but he was nervous leaving Danny alone at the house by himself so the blonde came along. 

Steve worked with the team while Danny slept in Steve's office. The SEAL informed the team he would be staying in the office with Danny until he was more on his feet. No one complained.

Thursday started out ok and Danny didn't zone out during his session. Steve considered that to be a sign for a good day. 

~S~

Danny sighed in relief when they reached the 5-0 offices and exhaustedly made his way to Steve’s office. He slumped into the couch ready to go to sleep. His therapy went ok in his opinion but Steve was practically glowing with happiness. 

Steve watched his partner from his desk. He could see the Detective fighting to stay awake as he slowly slid further into the cushions. When he was mostly slouching, Steve got up with a small chuckle and crossed the room. 

“Here, buddy.” He said, offering a pillow. “Why don't you get comfortable and take a nap. I'll wake you when it's lunch time.” Danny nodded and maneuvered until he was lying down on his back, the pillow under his head. Steve took his shoes off and put a light blanket on him. The blonde always gets cold when he sleeps. 

Steve went back to his desk to check his emails and look over the current case. It was still an hour before the team arrived, so he took the opportunity to get caught up.

Two hours later saw Steve in the bullpen looking over lab results with the team. So he was not around when a nightmare began to invade Danny’s sleep.  
~S~

Flashback

The cage floor dug into his back and rolling over just made his ribs throb. He was cold, but unable to find warmth. He curled into a ball, hoping to at least get his core warm. He felt weak and dizzy from lack of food and water.

Suddenly, the door to the cage was flung open and he was manhandled by two sets of hands out. They flung him into the chair and strapped him down. Lights flicked on and blinded him right away. He tried to blink past them, but it was hard. 

“Where? Tell me where the witness is?” A heavily accented voice yelled.

Danny shook his head. “I can't tell you.” He rasped out. He tested the straps in a wasted attempt to get free. He could sense the impatience coming off the speaker. It didn't bode well. 

“That's too bad for you, my friend.” A fist rammed into his jaw painfully. “My friends are bored with your stubbornness. So I have decided on a game for them. You will be the little mouse and my friends will be the cats that chase you through the maze of this place.” The speaker chuckled. “I'm betting you won't last long.”

He was punched again in the jaw, leaving him dazed. He felt himself get freed and dragged along the hallways. He wasn't sure where they were taking him but knew it couldn't be good. 

His head cleared just in time to hear a door being unlocked and thrown open. They dragged him through the door and dropped him. Danny landed on the floor hard. He groaned at the aches. 

“Alright, listen carefully. You got 10 minutes to get up and move. After 10, we will be coming to look for you. Call it our version of hide and seek.” The American guy smiled and laughed. The door slammed shut and then locked.

Danny laid there for a minute, gathering his strength and energy. Then he slowly pushed himself up, using the wall for balance to stand. 'Ok, just think like Steve.’ Just thinking of his love sent pain shooting through his heart. He missed him so much.

Then he pushed his thoughts of Steve to the side and walked along the hall. 

~S~

Present Day

Danny's body stood from the couch that he was sleeping on. Eyes saw a place that wasn't there, seeking something that only existed in memory. 

The Detective moved and went out the door that was closest to the exit. He then moved to the hallway and through another door that led downstairs to the basement. 

The team never even noticed him leave.

~S~

Flashback

The hallway was dark and doors missing or barely hanging on broken hinges. He had to find a hiding place, somewhere where he wouldn't be found. He also looked for a weapon, if anything, maybe he could stab one of his captors. 

He makes several turns while trying to mentally count the time remaining. 

Then he saw some stairs and he quickly took it. Once on the next level, he moved down the hall. It was a basement, but still plenty of rooms. He entered one that still had a door and made sure to close it. He saw a chair in the middle of the room and he wedged it under the door knob. It won't hold long but maybe long enough to get an advantage. 

He felt exhausted but he pushed on looking for a weapon. There wasn't one, but he did find a screwdriver in the corner. It will do.

Danny sat in the furthest corner of the room, pulling his knees in close to his chest, hiding his newly found weapon. He waited for the inevitable.

~S~

Steve looked at his team, impressed with their work. “Good job. Bring this guy in and we'll question him hard. I'm certain he is in on the drug ring.” 

Chin nodded as he grabbed Kono. Lou headed to his office to make some calls. Steve went back to his office to check on Danny. 

He was about to enter but froze when he saw the empty couch, pillow and blanket on the floor. He turned around and headed back out. “Did anyone see Danny leave?” He yelled, ensuring everyone heard.

Chin and Kono paused in the front door while Lou held the phone halfway to his ear. “No, we didn't. I thought he was asleep in your office, Boss.” Kono bravely answered. 

Steve shook his head. “He was, but now he is gone.” He felt fear grip his stomach. He crossed to the computer table and thought for a moment. “We need to find him. He isn't in the best place right now.”

Chin moved to the table and brought up the cameras. “I'm certain no one came in.” He muttered while winding the recording back.

Kono and Lou joined the two men, watching the recording. 

“There.” Steve pointed at the top of one square. You could barely see bare feet walking across the tile. Chin changed the camera angle to the one facing the door to Steve's office. 

“He just walked out. Not saying anything.” Kono said, feeling hurt. 

Steve shook his head. “Not intentionally, Kono. Look at his face.” He pointed out to his team.

Chin nodded in understanding. “He's sleepwalking.” He played the recording and tracked where the blonde went. They watched him exit the offices and down a flight of stairs. Once the door shut, Chin sighed. “There aren't any cameras in the stairwell.” He admitted. 

The SEAL growled. “He went somewhere. We have got to find him.” He started to pace, thinking. 

Chin pulled up all of the internal cameras again and played the recordings when he lost Danny. A few minutes later, he paused. “Found him. He's down in the interrogation room that's being repaired.”

Steve looked sharply at the screen. “Why, Danny?” He ran to his office and grabbed his cell. Then he ran out of the door. “Chin, come with me. Kono, Lou, stay here and let us know if he moves.”

Steve ran out of the office, hoping he could figure out what happened.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Chin confront Danny in interrogation.
> 
> Thanks for the support. I don't understand medical diagnosis or how the brain works, but I think I got close to how it could happen. Enjoy!

Steve and Chin raced down the stairs as fast as they could. Once at the bottom, they ran to the last room. It had a water pipe bust about a month ago due to aged pipes. Since then, it had been down and maintenance had slowly been working on it.

They got to the last room and Steve went to open it. He quickly found he couldn't. He threw his weight against the door but it didn't budge. The scrape of metal was heard and he cursed. 

“What is it?” Chin asked while trying to see what is going on. 

“He blocked the door with the chair that was in there.” Steve said in frustration.

Chin blinked in surprise. “Wasn't that bolted down?”

“No, it was unbolted so they could work on the water pipe.” Steve rammed into the door harder this time. He heard the scrape of the chair move but it held. “DANNY! DANNY, OPEN THE DOOR.” 

Chin called Kono and put her on speaker. “Hey, cuz, is Danny moving?”

“Negative. He is just sitting there, he is staring at the door though.” 

Steve banged on the door with his fist. “DANNY, COME ON, PAL. OPEN THE DOOR.” 

“Still nothing, Boss. He doesn't seem...wait. Ok, he's moving but it looks like he has something in his hand.” A long pause. “Boss, be careful. He's got a screwdriver.”

Steve sighed and rubbed his face in frustration. “This is not going well.” He turned back to the door. “DANNY, IT'S ME STEVE. YOU GOT TO WAKE UP, BUDDY, AND OPEN THE DOOR.”

~S~

'They're coming.’ Danny thought as he heard them bang on the door. The chair moves slightly but holds. He stays curled in his spot, waiting for the moment to strike. 

They ran into the door a couple of times and this time the chair moved an inch. It makes him anxious for what is to come. He hears yelling, but he can't quite make out the words. Another bang of fists and then more yelling, but he can kinda make out certain words this time. He can hear his name called along with “open” and “wake up” 

Currently, he had the advantage of surprise, so he needed to strike first. He slowly moves to his feet, still in a defensive posture. He grips the screwdriver tightly, ready to use. He slowly makes his way to the door. It's quiet now, too quiet. He waits patiently for sound, but he hears nothing. 

He quietly lifts the chair out from underneath the knob and gently sets it to the side of the door. He moved back to the door to try and peek out into the hallway but he isn't prepared for the door to come flying open. 

Danny fell onto the floor, but he managed to hold onto the tool in his hand. A big man emerges in the doorway and Danny is completely terrified. 

~S~

Steve kicks open the door the moment he hears the chair move. He takes a step inside and sees Danny lying on his back with wide eyes. He feels guilt clench his stomach when he sees the terrified expression. It also is a little disturbing to him, because it was as if Danny was seeing him but not seeing him at the same time. 

“Danny, it’s ok. You’re safe. You’re dreaming, you need to wake up.” He tried to keep his voice calm and steady. He couldn’t tell if Danny was still asleep or was awake and dealing with a flashback. He also wasn’t sure how much of his words were getting through, but he kept his eye on the hand that holds the screwdriver. It was gripped tightly in the blonde’s grip. Steve noted that the way he held the item showed that he had done something similarly before. This gave him an idea. 

“Danny, can you tell me where you are.” He asked loudly, hoping this will give him information. He subtly motioned for Chin to stay out of sight.

The blonde shook his head. “I won’t tell you anything.” He growled. 

“Is he ok, brah?” Chin asked from beside the door, making sure he wasn’t seen. Steve took a half step back to the doorframe, never leaving his eyes from his love. 

“I think he had a nightmare, but when he woke up it threw him into a flashback. He thinks I’m the enemy right now.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” Chin worriedly fiddled with his phone. 

Steve chewed his lip worriedly, then he slowly pulled his phone out of his pocket, carefully unlocked his phone and handed it to Chin. “Under my contact list, call Danny’s therapist. Her name is Bethany Lucas. See what she suggests.”

“You got it.” Chin walked a few feet away to make the call without being overheard. 

Steve focused all of his attention on Danny who had moved from a prone position to a crouch. The screwdriver was still held tight in front of him in a very defensive posture. He wasn’t sure what to do, so he stood there and watched until he got more information.

A couple of minutes later, a tap on his shoulder had him half turning to Chin. “What did she say?”

“She said to talk to him. More specifically, describe the room and who you are. Also emphasize that he is safe and there isn’t a threat. She also said that it may take a while before he comes out of it.” Chin relayed as much information as quickly as he could. 

Steve nodded his understanding and turned fully to Danny. He crouched down to be on eye level with him, hoping to look less threatening. He swallowed to hopefully moisturize his suddenly too dry throat. 

“Danny, please listen. You are safe. You are at the 5-0 offices. We’re sitting in the basement and it’s just you and me, buddy. I’m your partner, Steve. No one is here to harm you.” Steve watched Danny’s face, hoping to see anything that shows that he was getting through.

~S~

Danny wasn’t sure what to think of this person who was crouching in the doorway. He didn’t seem to pose a threat, but he wasn’t sure. It could be a trap, but in order to test that theory, he would have to attack. He still felt way too weak for a direct attack and win. So, he watched.

The man was speaking, but the words were distorted. He shook his head, wondering if maybe his hearing is somehow off. Then he noticed the size of the room. It felt too small and the walls were closing in. He needed to get out.

Danny glanced at the man and the door. He couldn’t see anyone else, but that didn’t mean that there wasn't someone out there. He needed to see if there was anyone there. A distraction. He glanced at the chair nearby. If he could attack the first guy with the chair, it should draw out the person that was hidden if there was someone. 

With the decision made, he slowly made his way to where the chair lay from when he moved it.

~S~

Steve watched Danny make none subtle glances at him, the door and the chair. He could see the gears in Danny’s head turning and knew that he was about to do something drastic soon.

“Chin, ask Bethany what I should do if he attacks.” Steve quietly ordered. He still wasn’t sure if his words were being heard, but decided to stay cautious.

After a few minutes, Chin called out, “She says if he attacks with intent to harm, you have to subdue him.” Steve winced, not wanting to do that if he didn’t have to.

“Hopefully he doesn’t then.” He whispered. But he realized that wasn’t meant to be. He watched as Danny started moving across the room. His usual finesse of movement seemed to have disappeared. He moved as if it was a very difficult thing to do like he had no strength left. Steve knew that couldn’t be possible since he has been watching him grow stronger everyday. 

“Steve, Grace is calling. You want me to answer it.” Chin whispered.

“No.” He said quickly. “Let it go to voicemail. I don’t want her to know what’s going on right now.” Steve then had an idea and looked back at Danny. “Hey, buddy. Grace is worried about you. She is trying to get in touch.” 

After a moment, he was disappointed that his idea didn’t work. He noticed that Danny was 10 feet away from the chair. 

“Danny, stop. If you swing at me, I have no choice but to take you down.” Steve used his Commander voice that he used to use with soldiers. 

That was the wrong thing to do.

Danny tensed, then he leaped for the chair, lifted it up and threw it at him. Steve ducked as the chair flew over his head. He used the move to charge forward and tackle the blonde while he was open. 

They both fell to the ground and Steve grabbed the hand that still somehow held the screwdriver. He slammed the hand on the ground as hard as he could, forcing the hand to open and drop the tool. He quickly grabbed it and threw it behind him out of reach. Danny was struggling under him like an angry cat. He bit and scratched at his arms and face. 

Steve easily dodged them and then he grabbed both hands and pinned them above Danny’s head. Using his body weight, he pinned down Danny’s lower half to the ground, not allowing the blonde to move an inch. 

“Get off! I won’t talk!” Danny yelled into his face, which cleared up for Steve that his lover was stuck in a flashback.

“Ok, you don’t have to talk. Just relax, ok? You’re safe.” But Danny wasn’t listening. He tried to move and even attempted to throw Steve off, but the SEAL didn’t earn his rank for nothing. He pushed more of his weight down, trying to keep him still.

“Steve, you ok?” Chin knelt next to him.

“Yeah, I’m ok.” He looked at the older man and could see the sorrow in his dark eyes. “I want Danny to be better.” 

Chin patted his back. “I know. He’ll get there, Steve. It’s just going to take time.” 

Another buck brought Steve back to the blonde. “Danny, stop!” Then he remembered the one day in the hospital when Danny had escaped his room. A kiss had brought him back to reasoning. Maybe it could work again.

Without hesitation, he forced his lips onto the blonde’s, refusing to lose contact while Danny struggled. He deepened the kiss, hoping to bring him back to reality. 

A minute later, the struggling ceased and the body below him went still. He finally pulled back and looked at his love. Danny laid there looking at him confused, but with clarity back in his eyes.

“Steve?” 

He let go of a wrist and caressed a cheek. “I’m here, baby. You with me?” A slow nod was his answer. Steve sighed in relief. “Good. You ok?” 

Another nod followed by a swallow. “What happened? Why are we in interrogation?” 

Steve slid off the blonde and helped the blonde sit up with Chin’s help. Danny leaned against Steve heavily, feeling lethargic and sore. “Well, it appears you had a nightmare and woke up to a flashback. I think the nightmare triggered it. You walked yourself down here. It took awhile to bring you out of it.” He explained gently.

Danny groaned and buried his face into the SEAL’s chest. “Why does my back hurt?” 

Steve nervously swallowed. “Well, you tried to attack me so I had to take you down. But it’s fine, ok, no one got hurt.” 

The blonde sighed and clenched his eyes shut, refusing the tears that suddenly sprang forward. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” 

“I know. It’s ok. Let’s head back upstairs to the office, ok?” Danny merely nodded and the other two pulled him up and helped him back to the office.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny tries to talk about what happened. Steve gets very emotional.
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me, everyone. I promise answers are coming in the next few chapters. Again, I am not an expert on anything medical. I did my best with what I do know. Can't wait to hear from you. Enjoy!

The rest of the day was less eventful. Danny refused to go to sleep after the flashback. He was terrified that it could happen again. So he decided that he would stay up all night. 

Steve resorted to his SEAL training where he could get rest but still hyper aware of his surroundings. He stayed in bed with Danny held close, gently petting his hair to hopefully relax and calm him. 

It made for a very long night. 

Friday morning they went to Danny's therapy session. He had dark smudges under his eyes, indicating very little sleep. He managed a few hours but not much. 

He entered the room sullen and exhausted. He more fell than sat on the couch as Bethany sat across from him. “I would ask how you are today, but it looks like you’re not doing that great.” She began. 

Danny gave a half hearted laugh. “No kidding.”

She ignored his sarcasm. “I was planning on us discussing a different topic today, but I really think we should talk about what happened yesterday.”

Danny moved his eyes away from the window to glance at her. “What is there to talk about? I had a flashback and that's all there is to it.”

Bethany narrowed her eyes at him. “You're avoiding the event. It must be something that bothers you quite a bit.” She leaned forward. “Let's try something different. Instead of telling me in detail and asking questions, why don't you tell me about it like you would for a case. Just the highlights and most important objective.”

Danny chewed his bottom lip. He wasn't sure about this. He really just didn't want to talk. All he wanted to do was go home and sleep for months. 

“Just try. I won't interrupt.” She encouraged. 

He liked her as a therapist, She was nice and never seemed to pressure him into doing anything. But he didn't feel ready to deal with anything. 

But then there was Steve. Still here and encouraging him. He hasn't left, at least not yet. There was also Grace who, despite her best efforts, was very worried about him. He didn’t like seeing that look on her face. He owed it to his daughter and Steve to get better. 

So he took a deep breath and plunged down the very deep and very dark hole that was his own personal hell. 

“There was a day where my captors got bored. At least I supposed that's what happened. They dragged me to a part of the building that was enclosed and locked. They put in their own locks, I remember seeing them looking new. They threw me in and told me I had a 10 minute head start to find a place to hide. They basically played hide and seek.”

He fell silent, not liking the memory of being chased like a mouse nor the constant fear of being found before he had enough strength to get very far. He remembered his heart pounding in his ears, the dizziness and fuzziness of his vision, making it hard to see. The dusty air making him cough and leaving trails being made behind him from weak legs. 

He blinked and suddenly, he was there, in the hallway and feeling like he needed to move right now. 

A hard pinch in his hand made him jump. He turned his head to see what pinched him and the dusty hallway turned back in the doctor's office. 

“Danny, babe, you with us?” Steve was sitting next to him. He blinked in shock. The transition had been smooth going into that horrible hallway but abruptly jarring switching back. 

He looked at Bethany who sat in silence not moving, watching as the scene unfolded. 

Then he looked to his right at Steve. He sat close with one hand laying on his back and his other laid gently on his forearm. He looked concerned, but his love was shining in his eyes. 

He swallowed hard and let out a breath. “Yeah. Just got caught up in it I guess.”

Bethany leaned forward, “Detective, let's switch gears. Can you tell me why you were kidnapped?”

Danny blinked at her. He knew why, but could he trust her? After a minute of thought, he answered. “They wanted information. I have knowledge of the location of a witness back from when I worked in Jersey. Only a select few were given this information. Since they came after me, I can only deduce that the others are either missing or dead.” 

Steve was surprised with that. “That’s not in your file?” He didn’t care if he sounded like an idiot.

The blonde glanced at him. “No, that was on purpose. The people that would want to know this information are among the most dangerous. It was kept secret on who knew this information as well as being court sealed.”

“Detective,” Belinda brought his focus back to her. “Why do you think that the other people that would know about this witness are dead or missing?” 

Danny chewed his lower lip nervously. He looked away and sighed. “I’m sorry. I can’t tell you that. It’s classified.” 

~S~

The drive towards the 5-0 offices was quiet and tense. Steve glanced at Danny who was staring out the window away from him. Saying he was worried would be an understatement. After saying that he couldn’t talk about the others that apparently knew the same information that he did, Danny simply shut down and refused to talk. Bethany had decided that ending the session for the day was a good idea.

“If you keep staring, we are going to wreck and I would appreciate not getting into an accident.” Steve snapped back to looking ahead at the slight reprimand. 

“Sorry. Just...concerned.” He quietly admitted.

Danny sighed and turned towards the SEAL. “You want to know how I know that the others that know are dead.” It wasn’t a question.

“Honestly, yes I do.” He glanced at his partner, frustration boiling over. “I’m sorry, but apparently you have information that dangerous people want.” He pulled over suddenly and parked the car. He turned and faced Danny, placing a hand on the side of the blonde’s neck. “You mean too much to me to lose you, Danny. How can I protect you if I don’t know what you know on this?”

Steve felt tears well up and he didn’t bother trying to stop them from spilling down his cheeks. “I love you more than anything. When you were gone, I thought my life had ended. I could barely handle going to work, coming home, or even waking up in the morning.” He took a breath, feeling how tight his throat was from the emotions. “Now that you are here, alive, I can’t stand the thought that your life is still in danger and I want to protect you to the best of my ability.”

Danny sat still, listening to the confession. He had no idea how Steve had felt through this whole process that started three months ago. He felt terrible for not thinking about Steve or anyone else handling the past events until now. He had only been focused on just getting through each day. 

He looked away for a moment, struggling to work around the lump that suddenly formed. He took a steadying breath as tears once again cascaded down his face. He shakily wiped them away and looked at Steve. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for all of this.” A sob snuck out, the guilt suddenly crushing him for not considering what this whole thing was doing to everyone around him.

Steve was shocked at the sudden breakdown. He moved his hand to the back of Danny’s neck and pulled him across the center console to his chest. He wrapped his arms around him as Danny sobbed into his chest. He felt the smaller man’s hands clenched tightly into his shirt as if he was holding on for dear life. The SEAL allowed himself to let tears of his own slip out, physically feeling Danny’s pain.

Eventually, the tears subsided and Danny was finally able to calm down enough to continue talking. He swallowed hard and pushed himself back to his seat. He scrubbed his face of any remaining tears. “Ok. Before I can tell you anything, I need to make a few calls.” He looked at Steve in the eye. “I wasn’t lying when I said that it was classified.”

Steve nodded. He could respect that due to the nature of being in the SEALs. “Ok, babe. If you can’t, I understand. I just hope you can.” He leaned over and gave a slow loving kiss. “Let’s get to the office.”

He put the car in gear and continued towards their destination.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny gives the team so insight to what is going on.
> 
> Thanks for the support everyone. Can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts. Enjoy!

Steve watched from his office as Danny paced in his own office while talking on the phone. He was impatient to know about the case that this whole situation seemed to revolve around. He looked back to his computer to try and get some work done, but he wasn’t able to focus for very long.

A knock on his door had him look up to see the cousins walking in. “Hey, Boss. What’s going on with our haole?” Kono asked.

“Yeah, brah. Looks pretty intense.” Chin added as he watched Danny start gesturing wildly in temper. “Although, I have to admit, this is a much more normal side to him than the recent behavior.”

Steve sighed. “Guys, listen carefully.” The cousins turned to him with rapt attention, catching on to his serious tone. “I’ll start by saying that Danny’s therapy this morning was...tense. He admitted that he knows certain information about his kidnapping that suggests he knows more than he has admitted. Right now, Danny is currently making calls in order to get the clearance to inform us about what is going on.” He took a breath. “However, we need to be prepared in case he isn’t able to tell us anything.”

Kono gave a confused look. “Why wouldn’t he be able to?”

“I’m not sure, but from what I do know, it was a very high priority case that Danny worked on in New Jersey. Only a very limited amount of people know about this case. That is the reason why Danny was kidnapped.” Steve stood up needing to pace. “I really hope we can be told what is going on, but I’m worried that we won’t and then I have no idea how to protect him.”

Chin stepped into his path and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, whether we are given information or not, it won’t change anything. All of us will be there and protect him, even if we have no idea what the enemy looks like.”

Steve blew out a breath and nodded. “Thanks, Chin.”

“Boss, you might want to check on Danny. He just hung up and doesn’t look very happy.” Kono interrupted. 

Steve looked across and saw the blonde in his chair, head laying on his folded arms on his desk. From this position, he looked exhausted. “Ok, you guys work on the current case, I’m going to go check on him.” The cousins nodded and they all headed out of the office.

The SEAL went straight to his partner’s office and gently opened the door. He walked in and sat on the corner of the desk closest to the Detective. “You ok?”

A long sigh was his answer. Steve placed a hand on his back and gently rubbed it. “I’m guessing the call didn’t go well.”

Danny lifted his head and looked up at him. His red rimmed and dull blue eyes were filled with pain and sadness. “No, it actually went better than I thought. Given the circumstances, I have been given the all clear to tell only you and the team what’s been going on.”

Steve nodded. “But you seem upset about something.” 

“Yeah.” The blonde cleared his throat. “Yeah. I was just told that of the five people that knew about this case, including me, four of them are now dead.”

The SEAL closed his eyes for a moment. “Aw, man, I’m sorry, Danny. Did you know them?”

Danny slowly nodded. “Yeah, I worked closely with all of them for eight months. When you live inside an RV with four other people, you get to know one another.” Tears filled his eyes again and he angrily wiped them away. “They were all good cops. Every single one of them and they get killed because someone wants to know where a witness is?” 

Steve gently pulled the shorter man up and into his arms. He hugged Danny tight, trying to bring comfort. “I’m sorry, Danno. I’m sorry for everything you have been through, but I promise we will do everything possible to catch these guys.” He felt the blonde nod against his chest and if he felt a spot on his shirt where it became damp, he doesn’t mention it.

After a few minutes, he gently pushed Danny away. “Come on, buddy. Let’s brief the team and we’ll go after these guys, ok? They are going to pay for everything.”

Danny nodded and took a moment to straighten himself up as best he could before heading out of his office with Steve. 

The cousins were around the computer table when they came out. The two stopped what they were looking at when the partners stopped at the table. Danny took a deep breath and cleared his throat. “Ok, Chin, there should be an email that came in from New Jersey PD. Can you pull it up please?”

The older man nodded and quickly pulled up the requested item. A second later, window after window kept popping up for 15 seconds. Once the large case file was pulled up, silence fell among the group for a moment. 

“Wow. That’s one large file.” Kono muttered in amazement.

“Yeah.” Danny agreed as he looked at a case he hadn’t seen in a long time. “So, this case is very high profile. Anything you hear on this case, stays in this room. Are we clear?” Everyone nodded. “Ok. So, this case started in March of 2006.” He started.

“A CI came forward and informed us that one of the local mobs was moving a large quantity of specialized weapons and drugs. During our investigation, we found that crystal meth was being smuggled into Jersey along with military grade assault rifles. One of the officers working the case went undercover into the mob that we found to be the source of the smuggling. We made a base of operations in an RV park not far from where the mob had set up shop. Our UC managed to go in at mid level and work her way up into the inner ring closest to the mob boss. We spent eight months getting surveillance, evidence and anything else that our UC could find.” He took a breath and took a moment to compose himself. This next part would be hard. “Towards the end of our investigation, a nail salon that we suspected to be a front for this mob happened to have an employee that unfortunately stumbled onto a murder of multiple people.” 

Danny pointed at a photo on the table that showed a young woman. Chin easily flipped it up onto the screen. The woman was in her mid 20s, brown hair, english features, light complexion and brown eyes. “Meet Leslie Deacon. She was a college student in Jersey at the time and to make a little extra money, she worked at the nail salon. That night, she forgot her cell phone and went back in. The UC was there when Leslie came in. She witnessed four men get executed in the middle of the salon. Fortunately, for us, the UC was the one assigned to get rid of Leslie. So, she managed to sneak her to us at the RV and we managed to get her away. Leslie has been in Witness Protection since then and since this was my operation, I was told what her new identity is. I won’t say what her new name is or where she is because that is classified.”

A burning prick could be felt in his eyes and he took a steadying breath. Steve placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “We got you, Danny. No one is going to hurt you.” The SEAL whispered into his ear. 

He cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the lump. “The four cops that I worked with on this case, are all dead.”

The cousins stared at him in shock. “All of them?” Kono asked quietly.

Danny nodded. “Yeah, all of them. From what I have been told, each one disappeared without a trace. Months later, their bodies were found dumped in random places. Each one had evidence of torture and starvation.” He felt his voice shake at the end of his explanation. He knew first hand what kind of torture that consisted of. 

Suddenly, a realization hit him and he felt very sick. 

“Danny, you ok?” Steve asked when he noticed the pale face standing next to him.

The blonde swallowed the thick saliva that appeared. “Yeah. Just that..I realized that if I was still back in Jersey...I could be dead right now.” 

The other three members looked at each other in concern. 

“Yeah, maybe, but you weren’t in New Jersey. You were here with us and you survived.” Chin gently consoled the younger man. “Besides, you got our resident hound dog to go after these guys.” That statement made everyone laugh while Steve pretended to be offended.

“Ok, Chin, Kono, go through this file thoroughly and let's see if we can catch anyone on facial rec from all entry points onto the island. Remember that these guys are very dangerous, they are professionals and they don’t care about life.” The cousins nodded and got to work combing through the file. Steve wrapped an arm around Danny’s shoulders and led him away to his own office. 

“Danny, be honest, you ok?” Steve asked once the door had completely shut. He held Danny in front of him, making sure to see his face.

The blonde sighed and let his shoulders slump in exhaustion. “Honestly, no, I’m not.” He moved away from Steve and sat down on the couch. He combed his fingers through his messy blonde hair in a sign of stress. “This is insane. Why come looking now and not years ago?”

Steve sat next to Danny and placed a gentle hand on the back of Danny’s neck. “I don’t know, Danny, but what I do know is that I think you have had enough for today. I’m taking you home to rest and please don’t argue. I’m not changing my mind on this. You need to take some time away from this.” He got up, gently pulling Danny with him. “Come on, Danno, let’s go home.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve sees a side to Danny that he has never seen before.

Night had fallen hours ago and the waves crashed up onto the shore. Danny sat in one of the chairs close to the waves, watching them come ashore. He tried to go to sleep around 10 pm, but he just tossed and turned until he gave up at 1:30 am. Now he sat on the beach holding a beer that he hasn’t even drank from yet. 

Steve had fallen asleep quickly and he didn’t have the heart to wake him. He needed the rest as much as he did. So he had quietly left his love to sleep while he sat miserable on the beach.

Suddenly, the sound of a gun clicking caught his attention, but he froze when he felt cool metal touch the back of his head. “Don’t move, Williams. Or we’ll shoot your friend here.” A voice said behind him. A very familiar Italian voice and his heart started to pound at the sudden fear he felt.

Hands grabbed him from either side and yanked him up. They forced his arms behind his back and turned him around. He saw a gun pointed at him, but it was the knife and gun pointed at Steve who was kneeling on the ground behind him that made him start to panic. 

Danny counted six men and all of them were wearing masks. Black clothes with long sleeves covered their entire bodies. He swallowed thickly when his brain kindly supplied that these were his kidnappers.

“I have to admit, you look pretty good. Looks like you could go another round, what say you boys?” The leader happily cheered along with his comrades. 

“Leave him alone. He doesn’t know anything.” Steve yelled. The leader turned to him.

“You’re Commander Steve McGarrett, right? But you would be wrong, Commander. Especially since I know that you didn’t meet the Detective here until he moved to this place. I also know for a fact that he knows the location of Leslie Deacon.” He turned back to Danny. “Just so you know, the other cops, they screamed as they slowly died. And with their last breath, they named you as the one who knows the exact name and location.”

Danny summoned the last dregs of his courage and spit on the ground in front of the leader. He could feel the terror strangling his throat and the nausea was making his stomach churn. The leader merely laughed. “Well, boys, it seems our friend here has regained some strength. I think we should move this party to a better location and start the fun.” He stepped forward until he was in front of the blonde and bent down until their faces were inches away. “We’re going to bring the Commander along for the ride. I think he will be quite...entertaining.” 

The two were yanked to the front of the house where a van was waiting. Danny and Steve had their hands zipped tied in front and thrown into the vehicle. The men climbed in behind them and quickly left the driveway.

Two men moved Steve to the opposite side of the van and held their weapons on him. The leader moved to Danny who hadn’t even bothered to move where he had fallen. The man sat next to the blonde and pulled out a knife, idly playing with it between his fingers.

“I feel like we know each other so well already, so if you don’t mind, I think I’ll call you Danny.” He stopped and held the knife by the pommel in his hand. “So, Danny, do you remember when we first met and we did that little game on the way to our nice little home?” The blonde decided to stay silent and looked away. “No? I’ll jog your memory.” He looked at Steve. “Watch closely now, Commander. Or should I call you Steve?” The men laughed.

The leader looked back at the blonde. “So, let us begin. Where is she?” Danny closed his eyes and swallowed thickly. “I see we are going to start the same way as the first time with the silent treatment. Very well.” He said nonchalantly and then quickly made a slash along Danny’s chest. The blonde jerked up slightly, moaning in pain.

Steve tried to move to tackle the leader, but his guards stopped him. “What are you doing?” He demanded icily.

The leader looked at him. “Oh don’t worry, Steve. It’s just a game of how many cuts will I inflict on him before we make it to our destination. He won’t die ...at least not yet.” The laugh was uncaringly cold and sent chills down Steve’s spine. 

The SEAL looked at Danny and tried to catch his eye, but his partner had his face turned away from him. Steve felt frustration and anger fill his chest. He looked at their captors and glared at each one of them. He wasn’t in a position to do anything at the moment, but he will watch and wait for the perfect moment to retaliate. 

The rest of the ride was torture for Steve as he watched the leader taunt, cut and mutilate Danny’s body. The SEAL just wanted all of this to end already.

They arrived at an abandoned farm out of the middle of nowhere. Steve felt despair hit him as he realized that these men knew what they were doing and this would be the last place anyone would look.

They are dragged inside the barn where Steve is placed in a chair and they tie him to it securely. He doesn’t notice them and he doesn’t care. He watches as they take Danny to a post and bind his hands above his head with some rope. They place chains around his ankles and torso, making it very difficult for him to move.

Once done, the leader stood between the two prisoners. “Alright, gentleman. The real fun can begin. But first, I think some sleep is due. See you in the morning, sleep well.” The leader laughed and the men walked out leaving the two of them alone.

Steve waited silently for a few minutes before finally speaking. “Danny, you ok?” He could see every cut on the blonde’s body. Overall, there are a total of 30 cuts, Steve had counted every single one. Thankfully, they were all shallow.

The blonde slowly looked up at the sound of his voice. “Steve?” The SEAL became nervous when he heard the plea and the terror in Danny’s voice when he spoke. “I can’t do this. I can’t go through this again. I just can’t.” Tears cascaded down his face and half sobs came bursting out on their own accord.

Steve felt a slight panic at the reaction he was seeing in front of him. Danny was one of the toughest people he knew and if this was his reaction...he really didn’t want to know what these men could really do. “Relax, Danno. I’m here, ok. You can do this. You did it once. All we need is an opening and I can get us out of here. You just have to be strong for a little while, ok?” 

Danny just continued to sob and didn’t reply. The memories of the first time he was with his captors kept flying through his head in very vivid colors. The first time, he had made peace with the fact that he would probably not make it. Now, however, he had that taste of freedom and recovery. Mentally, he wasn’t prepared for this. He believed he was weak and there was no way he could do this again.

“Steve, you have to get me out, now.” He desperately begged the SEAL. “Please.” He no longer cared if he looked like a child. He desperately didn’t want this to happen again.

Steve sighed, feeling pain stab his heart at not being able to do anything yet. “I’m sorry, Danny. I can’t right now, but I promise you, I will soon.” He hated seeing the Detective in this state. He could clearly see that Danny had reached the end of his rope. Broken. Shattered. Unable to cope.

Danny stared at him for a long minute while tears continued to fall down his face. Finally, he looked away. “Ok. That’s alright. I understand. I guess even you have your limits.” He whispered and then he let his head fall down towards the floor.

‘If Steve can’t get me out, then I’ll have to help myself.’ He thought despairingly. Then he focused himself to retreat far into his mind, knowing that this was most likely the end of his life.

Steve watched as Danny’s head fell, no longer looking at him. “Danny? What are you doing?....Danny, talk to me.” He felt the fear in him grow as he watched his love in front of him. He continued to call for Danny, but he no longer got a response. Eventually, it dawned on him that Danny had completely shut down and was no longer aware of what was around him. 

The SEAL felt a few tears well up and fall. “Danny, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I swear we’ll get out. It will be over soon and I vow to kill these men, no matter what.” He promised out loud even though he knew the blonde couldn’t hear him.

So Steve fell into a type of meditation, slipping into SEAL mode and preparing for the events that were to come when the sun rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I am being so mean to Danny. He has the worst luck. Please leave your thoughts and Kudos. Thanks for sticking around, everyone.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chin and Kono find out their friends are missing. Steve and Danny face their captors. 
> 
> **WARNING** graphic torture and maybe some heartbreak. Thank you for the support. Enjoy!

Chin was the first one into the office the next morning. He was surprised to see the office still dark and everything still turned off. “Steve? Danny?” He looked all over the office but couldn’t see either of the two.

“Hey, cuz. Where are the bosses?” Kono started cheerfully but it turned into confusion when she noticed the lack of people in the office.

Chin shook his head. “I don’t know. They both are usually here already.” He pulled his cell phone and hit the first speed dial. It kept ringing until it went to voicemail. He hung up and hit the second speed dial. He got the same result. He felt worry begin to stir in his gut.

“What’s up?” Kono drew him from his thoughts.

He moved to the computer table and turned it on. “I tried to call them, but both of their phones go straight to voicemail.” He thought for a moment as the table booted up. “Didn’t Steve order a protection detail?”

“Yeah, he wanted to make Danny feel like he was safe.”

“Can you call the officers and have them check the house? I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

Kono nodded as she pulled her phone out. “Yeah, I’m on it.” She said, picking up on his distress.

Once booted up, Chin quickly activated the phone tracking program and had it search for the phones of his bosses. A few moments later, he saw that they were both at Steve's house. 

“Chin.” Kono’s panicked voice broke through his concentration. “The officers went inside the house and said that no one was there. The bedroom looks like there was a struggle and fresh tire tracks on the driveway.”

The older man cursed. “They were taken and where was the patrol? How did they miss it?” Kono shook her head to his questions. He took a deep breath. “Alright, let's take a hard look at everyone on patrol. Bank accounts, their sentry pattern, all of it. After that, we'll interrogate. I’ll call Lou and have him check the house with CSU.”

Kono nodded. “You think they're ok?”

Chin shook his head. “I don't know. We can only hope we will find them alive.”

~S~

Steve watched with a grimace as another punch was delivered to Danny's unprotected torso. The blonde groaned, but otherwise didn't make a sound. 

“Tell me where she is!” The leader yelled in Danny’s face. 

As soon as the sun had risen, all six men had returned to the barn. For the last several hours, they have yelled, beaten and at some point, they have given Danny a drug that heightened his nerve endings so that any pain he feels is doubled. Throughout it all, Danny had remained mostly silent and unresponsive.

“I am not going to ask again.” the leader said coldly. He was becoming more impatient the longer this process went on. His humor was gone and his tone showed nothing but business. 

While everyone was distracted, Steve took the opportunity to slowly wriggle his wrists and ankles against the chair to try and loosen his bonds. 

“Ok.” Steve looked up as he heard the change of tone. That wasn't good. “You don't want to talk, that's fine. We'll just work on your friend here.” 

Two of the men came over and grasped the chair on either side of Steve. Without warning, they tilted it back and a third placed fabric over his face. He felt water being poured onto his face. Steve struggled to keep the natural panic response in control. He has experienced waterboarding before, but not on U.S. soil. 

Finally, they released him and he retched up any water that may have gotten in. It had lasted no more than 15 seconds, but it always feels longer. When he recovered, he looked up with defiance in his eyes. He also saw Danny staring at him with wide eyes just behind their captors.

“You know, boys,” the leader moved around and leaned on the back of the chair, his face close to Steve's. “I don't think I've got to play with a Navy SEAL before.” 

Steve glared at the leader. "I promise you, you will be the first one to die."

The group laughed. "Is that so?" He walked around and bent down until he was in Steve's face. "I'd like to see you try." Then he stood up and punched him in the jaw.

The SEAL laughed, but there was no amusement. "That's the best you can do? Danny hits three times harder." In reality, it hurt a lot. However, if he could get their focus completely on him, then it would keep Danny from any more pain.

The leader narrowed his eyes before kicking out, hitting Steve in his left shoulder. The force made him fall backwards and he groaned at the pain that ran through his body. However, fortune was on his side because when he hit the floor he heard a crack and noticed the arms and legs of the chair were looser. He kept the smile from his lips. 

"Pick him up." The leader commanded. Two men lifted Steve back upright and he felt the bindings get even looser. 

Steve let out a fake laugh to cover how much pain he was currently in. “Hey, before we get too far into this, how did you know where to find us?”

The leader chuckled. “You have quite the balls, don’t you?”

Steve smirked. “You could say that. Answer the question.”

“Normally, I would continue what we are doing, but since you aren’t leaving here alive, I’ll indulge you.” The leader straightened and took a few steps before turning back to Steve. “You are not the only one with sources, Commander. It also helped that we followed the two of you long before any of this ever happened.”

“Ah, that makes sense. What about grabbing us? There was a protection detail on us” 

The corner of the leader’s eyes crinkled, most likely indicating a smile. “I’ll admit, that was a smart move, Commander. Unfortunately for you, given the right incentive, you can make anyone turn a blind eye.”

Steve scowled, “So you threatened them?”

“No, on the contrary, some of them got a nice payday and others, well, let’s just say they won’t be going home anytime soon.”

“You son of a b-” Before Steve could finish his sentence, the leader made a gesture and fabric was once again thrown over his face. This time, the waterboarding lasted a good 20 seconds before they stopped. Steve half coughed and half vomited quite a bit of water.

"Stop!" Steve looked up to Danny when he finally spoke. Tears were pouring down his face and a look of defeat was in his blue eyes. "Please, just stop." Danny said brokenly. The leader turned to the blonde and laughed. 

"So you do remember how to talk. Are you ready to tell me what I want to know?" 

While the leader turned his back on the SEAL, Steve forced himself to refocus on his mission and focused on his bindings. He struggled to get them loose just a little more so he could slip his hands and feet out.

Danny stared at the leader for a long minute, a battle warring inside his mind could be clearly seen on his face. After a long minute, he dropped his head. "I can't." He said softly.

The leader wasn't pleased. "You will tell me eventually." He growled and motioned to one of his men. "Bring the hose and the battery."

Danny suddenly began to struggle. He remembered that pain and he didn't want to go through that again. "NO! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T!" He screamed. 

Steve ignored the pain that stabbed his heart as he slowly freed himself. He had to focus and be quick while their captors' attention was elsewhere. 

He felt his hands and a foot get freed when Steve looked up just in time to see Danny get completely soaked with water from a hose that they had dragged over from the back wall. Danny was sobbing again, unable to take much more due to his fragile mental state. 

They brought the car battery and connected the wires to it, by this time Steve was able to free the rest of himself and he quietly snuck up on the man holding the other end of the electrical wires. 

"Last time, Detective, where is the girl?" The leader demanded impatiently. 

But Danny didn't get a chance to respond. Steve kicked the back of the knee of the man he snuck up on, immediately breaking his neck as he fell. The other five reacted to their comrade screaming. They pounced forward at the same time, but Steve was ready for them this time. 

Unlike in the bedroom where they were able to catch him off guard when he was asleep, he didn't give them an opening. The next man, he kicked hard in the chest sending him flying. The third he blocked the punches thrown before he caught an arm and flipped him to the ground. The fourth he struck several pressure points and then stepped forward to break their neck. Two down, four to go.

The fifth jumped on his back to try and get a strangle hold, but he easily elbowed the man in the side and flipped over his shoulder. As soon as he landed on the floor, he stomped on the man's neck, crushing the trachea. He would be dead in several minutes from suffocation. 

The second man came back in, swinging a large combat knife. Steve easily dodged it and then grabbed the wrist tight, spinning counter clockwise, he moved close to the man. Slamming his elbow into the man's face, he forced the hand loose, retrieved the knife and spun around. In a flash, the throat had been slit.

The third man was easily dispatched with a knife into his heart by throwing it before the man could make his next attack. One left.

Steve turned to the leader who was clapping slowly. "Impressive work. That will teach me to make sure a SEAL is always watched."

He glared at the man angrily. "There won't be a next time. I’m going to end you on behalf of my partner and all of those cops that you killed." Then he leaped forward, feinting with a punch in favor of a kick. The leader grunted as the kick hit his side, but he still stood.

After a few blocks, Steve quickly realizes this man knew how to fight and he had to force his mind to slow so that he wasn't taken down. They traded blows for what seemed like minutes. Items we're thrown as a distraction or dirt to blind. Choke holds broken and eventually they ended up wrestling on the ground. 

Finally, an opening occurred and Steve didn't hesitate. Wrapping his legs tightly around the leader's waist and grabbing the dropped electrical wires, wrapped it around the leader's neck. He pulled with all of his might, strangling the man until he laid still.

Steve released him after a moment, breathing hard. He pulled himself up into a crouched position and pulled the mask off. The dead man had pale skin, shaggy dirty blonde hair, and he looked to be in his mid 40s. The leader’s facial features looked european, but of what origin he wasn’t sure. He patted down the body and found keys in the front pocket. 

He stood up and made his way to Danny. Danny had looked back down and was still crying, unaware of his surroundings. He gently placed a hand under his chin and lifted his face up.

"Danny, it's ok. You're safe now." Steve whispered. He then went to work removing the bonds from the blonde. "You're ok, buddy. It's over." He continued to reassure him as he unlocked the padlocks and worked on the ropes. 

Once the last of the bindings had been released, Steve had to be quick to catch Danny as he fell forward. He could feel the tremors coursing through his lover’s body as he held Danny close. "Sweetheart, it's over now." He gave several kisses on top of the blonde head. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Steve ended up having to carry Danny after he took several steps before his knees gave out. Danny was weak and after another round of torture so soon, he wasn't able to process or cope properly. Steve could sense that Danny has reached way past his limit. Steve felt sick for him. He was a cop not a soldier. He wasn't trained for this kind of thing and he wasn't trained on compartmentalizing this kind of trauma. 

Outside of the barn, he finds a truck next to the van that they came in. Luckily, the keys he had taken fit the truck and he buckled Danny in. Then he climbed into the driver’s seat and started it up, slamming on the gas to get as far away from this place as quickly as possible.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finds medical help and reunites with the team.
> 
> I had some great thoughts on the last chapter. I'm very excited to see what y'all think is coming next. Thank you for the support and keep up those comments. On to the next chapter. Enjoy!

Finding the main highway, Steve was able to figure out where they were. They had been driven to the north side of the island and Queen's Medical was the closest hospital. He headed in that direction.

Glancing at Danny, he was glad to see that he had passed out. It was the best thing for him until he could get treatment to help process what happened. Steve reached over and gently picked up Danny's hand. He only got a taste of the methods those men would use, but he felt nauseated at the thought of what else they could have done. 

30 minutes later, he stopped in front of the ER doors of the hospital. He carried Danny inside, surprised he hadn't stirred with all of the movement. "I need help here!" He yelled as he found an empty gurney and placed Danny on it. 

A Doctor and several nurses came running over. "What happened?"

"We were kidnapped and he was tortured. He was given some kind of drug that heightens pain." Steve quickly explained.

The Doctor nodded. "Ok, let's get an IV started and x rays done. Shawn, get a private room set up stat." He ordered and wheeled the gurney into the treatment area.

Steve sighed and went to the receptionist. "Is there a phone I can use?" She nodded and indicated a phone down the hall. Steve thanked her and went to it.

He dialed a phone number and waited. It was picked up on the third ring. "Chin, it's Steve."

"Steve. Thank goodness. Are you ok? Where are you? Where’s Danny?"

"Queen's Medical. Danny and I got taken last night."

"I know. Kono and I have been investigating who was on patrol last night and figuring out what happened." Chin said angrily.

Steve sighed. "Turns out these guys paid some of the officers off and it sounds like they may have killed others. These guys were professionals. Took me off guard in my own bedroom." He thought for a moment. "Listen, they took us to an abandoned farm North from Queen's. They should all be there."

A long silence followed. "What do you mean by that? No, wait, let me guess, you killed them." 

"I didn't have a choice, Chin. Danny was done, he wasn't able to cope with this anymore. If I didn't kill them, they would have killed us." Steve defended. 

"Relax, brah. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. Just surprised is all. Text me the directions and we'll send CSU out there along with Max." Chin pausd for a moment. "Is Danny ok?"

Steve sighed and rubbed his face with his free hand. "I don't know. Probably not. He was begging, Chin, and crying. He couldn't take much more."

"Well, the best thing we can do is be there for him. Take care of him. I'll send a protection detail that Duke trusts over just in case. In the meantime, Kono and I will handle everything else."

"Thanks, Chin. I'll call when I get an update." Steve then hung up and went to sit down in the waiting area. He hoped Danny could recover. If not, Steve would still take care of him, even if his partner never returned to work again.

~S~

Steve sat in the chair that was next to the hospital bed. He sighed as the feeling of deja vu washed over him. It was only a few weeks ago that found Danny in the hospital and now he was back. 

The SEAL looked at Danny who was currently sedated. Four hours ago, Danny woke up during x rays. He was disoriented and immediately freaked. He tried to make a run for the door and made it halfway across the room before anyone managed to grab hold of him. It took Steve and two orderlies to restrain him before the Doctor was able to get the syringe into him. The brunette sighed as guilt stabbed him in the gut. Danny was mentally broken and Steve knew that a lot of therapy was ahead.

A knock on the door brought Steve out of his thoughts. Chin and Kono walked in, grim expressions on their faces. “Hey, how are you guys doing?” Chin asked.

Steve sighed. “I’m ok. A few cuts and bruises but I’ll manage.” He feebly gestured to his partner. “Danny on the other hand is worse off than I am. He’s got some cuts and bruises as well as a few cracked ribs, but those will heal fine. Mentally…” He paused, unsure how to phrase things in a nice way. “Mentally, he’s...broken. Whatever those guys did before got piled onto this kidnapping.” He looked at the cousins, tears in his eyes. “He couldn’t take it. Just shut down and refused to fight. He woke during x rays and they had to sedate him immediately.” He took a breath and cleared his throat. “They put him on an IV sedative for now, until a therapist can evaluate him.”

Kono sniffled at the end of his explanation. She got up and took one of Danny’s hands in hers, squeezing it gently. “Oh, Danny. I’m so sorry.” She brushed a stray hair out of his face. “We’re here for you and we got your back.”

Chin grasped Steve on the shoulder, squeezing gently to show his support. “We got both of your backs. Let us know if we can help, Steve. You don’t need to help him alone.” He wisely advised.

The SEAL nodded. “I know. Thank you.”

“Commander?” Steve looked up and saw a woman in the doorway. She was tall, thin with an hourglass shape, olive skin tone, long wavy brown hair and vibrant green eyes. She wore black slacks, black heels, and a lilac blouse that seemed to flow elegantly as she moved.

“Hi and you are?” Steve asked, moving to stand in front of the bed in a protective way.

She gave a gentle smile as she walked to the bed. “I’m sorry to interrupt. My name is Doctor Olivia Benton. I’m here to evaluate Danny Williams.” She fell silent for a moment in thought. “I’ve been told by the attending Doctor that he has been through something traumatic.” Olivia turned to Steve. “I heard what happened in x rays and I would like to get the evaluation process started as soon as possible.”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, Danny already has a therapist. I figured we would stick with her.”

Olivia nodded her head. “Of course, can you give me her number and I can get in touch with her. Let her know my findings.”

“That would be fantastic. Thank you.” She handed over a small notebook and he wrote down Bethany’s number. Then he handed back to her. “So, what happens now?”

She smiled sadly. “First, we wake him up so I can see where he is at. After that, he will either be sent home or to the psychiatric ward for awhile.”

The team winced at the mention of the mental hospital. “Is that necessary?” Kono asked softly.

Olivia shrugged. “Maybe, but I don’t know for sure what he will need until he wakes up.” A knock drew everyone’s attention and Doctor Sterling walked in. 

“There seems to be a party in here.” She said, trying to alleviate the tension. “I’ll be taking over Detective Williams’ case since he is technically still my patient. I’m going to disconnect him from the IV and hopefully he will wake up in a few hours.” She walked over to the other side of the bed and carefully removed the line from the IV needle. She checked to make sure that the needle was fine before taping down the loose end and hanging the tube up out of the way. “Now, Doctor Benton, can I have a word with you?”

Olivia nodded and followed Annette out of the room. Steve sighed as he stood and petted Danny’s hair. “You two did a wonderful job today. Now go home and get some rest. I don’t know how long this will take, but I will update you when I can.”

Chin nodded and gently pulled Kono away. “We understand, Steve. I’ll come by later with some food and a fresh change of clothes for you. Take care of him, brah.” Then they left, leaving Steve alone once more with his injured lover.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny returns to consciousness and Steve hears what the doctors recommend.
> 
> Thank you for the support. I hope you I am keeping everyone's interest. Still a long way to go on this journey. Enjoy the next chapter.

It was six hours before Danny showed signs of waking. Olivia had been coming in and out of the room for the last two hours, hoping to be there when he did wake. She had informed Steve that she had contacted Bethany. The two therapists decided to let Olivia conduct the evaluation and the two will then discuss what the next step was. Olivia had already been caught up on the key points of Danny’s last abduction.

Steve, who had showered and changed thanks to Chin, was at his side in an instant when Danny began to wake, ready to reassure him.

Danny slowly opened his eyes and looked around confused before focusing on Steve. “Hey, sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

The blonde groaned as he sleepily rubbed his eyes. “Like someone jumped on my body multiple times.” He slurred. Steve sighed in relief. This was a much better response than he was expecting.

“Detective?” Olivia’s quiet voice drew their attention. She smiled at Danny. “My name is Olivia Benton. I’m glad to see you awake.”

Danny swallowed a few times. “Uh, hi. Hey, Steve, is there water?” 

The brunette nodded and picked up the glass that was recently filled and helped Danny sit up enough to take a drink. When he was finished, he asked, "How long have I been here? What happened?”

Steve glanced at Olivia for guidance. He wasn’t sure what he should or should not say. Fortunately, he didn’t have to speak. “Detective, is it ok that I call you Danny?” She continued at his confirmation. “Danny, what is the last thing you remember?” She asked gently.

Danny sat there for a long moment, appearing to be searching his memories. “I remember telling the team about what was going on and then Steve taking us home. I went to bed and now I’m here.”

Steve blinked in surprise. Danny couldn’t remember almost a 24 hour time span? How could he not when he was the center of all of the recent events?

Olivia nodded. “Very good. You were injured and Steve brought you here.” Steve noticed that she didn’t specify how he got injured.

Danny must have picked up on that as well because his eyes narrowed. “What aren’t you telling me?”

She shook her head. “I think it would be best if you discovered that when you’re ready. For now, why don’t you get some food and rest.”

Annette walked in at that moment with a large male nurse following. He was holding a tray that held a meal. “I’m glad I took the liberty of bringing this with me then.” She smiled at Danny. “Glad to see you awake. Although, I don’t like my best patients coming back to me in a hospital room.” She pointed at the table. “Curtis, can you place it there for him, please?”

Curtis nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” He spoke with an italian accent. Steve stiffened, worried on what that might do for Danny. He glanced at Olivia and noticed her watching the blonde intensely. Then it clicked. This was a test.

Danny tensed and his breath quickened. Curtis pushed the table closer and placed the tray on it. “Here we are. I believe it is some kind of stew that the kitchen whipped up.” Curtis said smiling. But Danny wasn’t listening and Steve was unprepared for the sudden movement of his partner. 

The blonde grabbed the tray and hurled it at Curtis. “You stay away from me. I will not tell you anything.” Danny made an attempt to get up, but Steve grabbed his shoulders and held him down. 

Annette suddenly was at his side and jamming a syringe into Danny’s forearm. He struggled, trying to throw Steve off and the brunette could see the sheer panic overwhelming him. “Danny, relax. You’re safe.” Steve tried to reason, but he wasn’t getting through. The smaller man was fighting him, wanting to bolt.

It only took a minute before Danny started to lose strength and he collapsed on the bed, his eyelids fluttering closed. Steve relaxed his hold when he felt the body beneath him fall limp. He looked at the doctors furiously. “Was that necessary?” He growled, but neither woman was bothered by his tone.

“I needed to see how he would react to an italian accent. I’ll need to exchange some notes with his therapist and see what the next best step should be.” Olivia explained before contemplating on the event.

Annette turned to Curtis. “You alright?”

“Yes, Doc. He missed me but he can certainly throw.” Steve was surprised to hear an American accent this time. Curtis smiled. “I do voice overs as a hobby. Doing an italian accent wasn’t difficult for me.”

Steve nodded and sat in his chair feeling exhausted. “Now, what?” 

Olivia sighed and shook her head sadly. “Like I said, I’ll need to call his therapist and report my findings. Then we go from there. Let’s keep him here for the next few hours and I’ll let you know what we decide. In my opinion I’m thinking he will need to spend some time in the psych ward.”

Steve felt anger and concern flare up at Olivia’s recommendation. “Look, he just needs some time to get his head on straight. He just needs to go home.” Steve interrupted.

But she shook her head. “No, Steve, you can’t. He needs people around who are not attached to the situation. Tough love needs to happen.”

Steve felt his anger fade. He wanted to take Danny home so they could just forget what happened, but he knew deep down that this wasn’t how things normally worked. “Ok. But I am not leaving him. In case I’m needed.” He glared determinedly at the two women. They nodded their understanding.

“Ok, Curtis, please clean this up, thank you.” Annette said before turning to Olivia. “I’ll keep him comfortable until I hear back from you.” The therapist nodded as she left the room.

The brunette sighed and held one of Danny’s hands. “You’ll get better. You’ll see.” He quietly said as he kissed the sleeping man’s head.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new treatment plan is drawn up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your thoughts. Very good questions from the last chapter. I can't wait to hear more.
> 
> REMINDER: I do not know what the proper medical procedures are, but I tried to come up with the ones that made the most sense for the story. 
> 
> On to the next chapter. Enjoy!

Danny woke, unsure what day or time it was. He felt the softness beneath him and wondered when he fell asleep. 

"Steve?" He called out, his voice hoarse from lack of use. Silence met his question. "Steve?" He asked again, but was met with the same response. He brought a hand to his face and rubbed it vigorously. He didn't know where he was and he couldn't sense anyone nearby. The only way to know is by looking for himself. 

Danny forced his heavy lidded eyes open. The first thing that greeted him was the semi darkness that filled the room. A lamp beside him was on, but that seemed to be the only light source in the room. Emergency lighting leaked from the crack on the bottom of the door and its window.

The room was small but spacious. Danny noted the small table with two chairs by the window that showed the outside world and that it was night time. On another wall sat a dresser and the bed he was lying on was against the last wall.

Danny felt uneasy with this room. It felt too basic and he was alone. He slowly sat up, feeling the painful twinge on one side. He wrapped an arm around his middle to help support it. Then he slowly made his way to the door. He tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge, no matter how hard he tried. Tears formed and fell, giving way to his frustration. He banged a fist on it several times before giving up and he slid down the door to the floor. He pulled his knees up and cried. He just wanted to go home.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but it was awhile. By the time he heard a knock on the door, his butt had gone numb and he was shivering from the cold tile floor.

"Detective, can you move away from the door please?" A deep man's voice asked kindly. Danny debated on staying where he was, but decided to cooperate. He needed answers and this man was going to give it to him.

He carefully stood up and moved to sit on his bed where he shivered even more. The door opened to reveal a tall, broad shouldered dark skinned man. He had kind brown eyes and dreadlocks pulled back into a low ponytail. 

"Someone walked by and heard you were awake, so they came and got me. I'm Zeke and I'm your nurse for the night." Danny couldn't help but like him. He was gentle and giving him space. 

"What time is it?" He asked quietly.

Zeke glanced at his watch. "It's 3:28 in the morning. You slept a while. You look cold, how about a blanket?"

Danny nodded. A blanket sounded nice. Zeke walked to the dresser and opened one of the drawers and pulled out something. He then closed it and walked to the bed and knelt down to pull out a folded up blanket. He held out the object he had gotten from the drawer which turned out to be socks. "These will keep your feet warm and they are quite soft."

He picked them up and discovered that they were indeed quite soft. Zeke opened the blanket while Danny put on the socks. His feet instantly felt warmer. The blanket was wrapped around his small frame and he couldn't help but snuggle up into it.

"Anything else I can do for you? If not, I advise you to try to get some more sleep." Zeke said with a smile.

"Actually, could you tell me where I am? Where is Steve McGarrett?" Danny asked, trying to sound polite since Zeke had been nice to him.

The man tried to hide a wince but wasn't very successful. He cleared his throat. "You are in the Psychiatric ward in Queen's Hospital. Mr. McGarrett is keeping watch in the visitor room."

"I want to see him...please?" Danny asked. He didn't like being in here by himself. It made him nervous and anxious.

Zeke shook his head. "I'm sorry, but you need to stay here for the rest of the night. I can see if you can see him as soon as the sun comes up. And before you ask, no, visitors are not allowed in this area. It's for patients and personnel only."

Danny took a breath, trying to keep his temper in check. "I know you are just doing your job, but I hate being here."

Zeke's face softened into sympathy. "I understand. I hear that often, but I'm afraid there is nothing I can do." He thought for a moment. "I could give you a mild sleeping pill. Would that help? It would only last for a few hours."

The blonde sighed and shook his head. "No. I think I've had enough sleep."

"How about a book? There are some in the ward library. I could bring you some." Zeke answered as a compromise.

Danny sighed. "Ok. I guess it's better than staring at the ceiling." 

"Great. I'll be right back." Zeke smiled and then left.

“Hey, wait.” Zeke stopped and turned back to him. “Why was the door locked?”

The nurse blinked for a moment. “It wasn’t locked. I will admit that it is very heavy.”

“I tried to open it and it wouldn’t budge.” He growled.

Zeke held up his hands in a calming gesture. “I promise you it wasn’t locked. Come here and I’ll show you how to open it.”

Danny got up and stood next to Zeke. The nurse grabbed the handle, turned it and opened it. He let the door close and gestured to it. “Your turn.”

He stared at Zeke for a moment and then grabbed the handle and tried to open it. It didn’t move. He looked at Zeke accusingly.

The nurse wasn’t intimidated. He gave a small smile. “I swear I didn’t do anything. Let me show. Grab the handle.” Still suspicious, he did as he was told. Zeke placed his hand on top of his and turned the handle with him. Danny pulled but couldn’t open it, but then Zeke pulled and he then felt the true weight of the door. Zeke was right, the door was very heavy. Normally it wouldn’t be a problem, but since he still hadn’t physically recovered, he wasn’t able to open the door as easily.

“Oh, I see.” He muttered. 

Zeke gently patted his shoulder. “Ok, I’m going to go get those books. Why don’t you lie down and I’ll be back.” Then the nurse left.

He waited a minute before he decided to try again. Now knowing that the door was heavier than it seemed, he pulled with all of his might. He was relieved to see the door open. He tried a few more times before he was satisfied. Now that his mind was put at ease, he went back to the bed.

Danny curled up on his side on the bed and pulled the blanket tight around his body. He could feel the tears welling up again. He furiously scrubbed his face angrily. He didn't want to be here and he wanted to see Steve.

A little while later and his door opened again. Zeke held six books in his hands. He placed them on the bed side table. "There you go. Should be something there that might interest you. Here is a bottle of water." He pulled some water out of a pocket and placed it next to the books. "I'll be by later to check on you." Then he left.

Danny sighed and reached for the book on top. Mind as well keep himself entertained. He opened the book and quickly realized it was a book on positive thinking. He hated it, but didn't feel like looking through the others, so he dealt with it.

Two hours later, Zeke snuck in to find Danny asleep, the book about to fall to the floor. The nurse easily caught it and gently placed it on the stack of books. Then he quietly left, leaving the Detective to sleep.

~S~

"Danny. Danny, time to wake up." A soft woman's voice and a shake on his shoulder brought Danny out of dreamland and into reality. He blinked his eyes open and rubbed the sleep out of them.

Bethany was crouched next to the bed and smiled. "Good morning. I heard you woke up in the middle of the night, so I let you sleep in for a while."

"What time is it?" He slurred. He cleared his throat, trying to make himself clearer.

"It's about 9 o'clock. Your nurse said you have slept about a solid four hours. Which is good. You need the rest. Now, let's get you some breakfast and pain meds. After that, you can see Steve." 

Danny perked up at that. He felt lonely and unbalanced without Steve. Bethany laughed. "First breakfast. Come on, the bathroom is just down the hall. Then we can get going."

They walked to the bathroom where Danny took care of business as well as try to wrangle his hair back into submission. Even with water it wouldn't cooperate.

Then they went to what passed as a dining hall. It was currently empty. Bethany told him to sit while she headed to the kitchen. She returned a minute later with a tray and set it down in front of him. It had eggs, toast, oatmeal, a small glass of juice and one mug of coffee. She grabbed the mug of coffee and sipped it while he ate. It wasn't gourmet, but it was something.

Danny decided to start asking questions that have been bothering him before he fell asleep in the early morning hours. “Let me ask you something. I know I woke up in a different room previously and there was a different doctor there. I assume she was a therapist.” 

“Yes, Dr. Olivia. She is the hospital's resident therapist. She and I have crossed paths a few times. She is very good at her job so I trusted her judgement when she told me what had happened with you.” 

“Ok, then my question is why weren’t you there?”

Bethany smiled gently. “Good observation. Unfortunately, I was dealing with a patient emergency at the time. I wasn’t able to come up here to evaluate you. I’m sorry.”

Danny nodded. “No, it’s fine. I get it.” And he really did. He knows he isn’t the only patient that Bethany was seeing.

They made idle talk until he was finished, only managing about a third of the tray. Bethany glanced at him concerned but didn't say anything as she waved at a nearby orderly who handed Danny a cup with pills in it.

He looked in the small cup to look closer at the two pills. One was bigger than the other. "What's that one?" He asked, pointing at the bigger one.

"That's the painkiller and anti inflammatory." She answered.

"And this one?" He asked, getting suspicious.

Bethany gave a small smile. "Muscle relaxant."

He stared at her for a long moment, not believing her but he didn't know enough about meds to say otherwise. After a minute, he sighed and took the pills, swallowing them with the last of his juice.

She picked up the tray and dropped it off at the kitchen before waving to him to follow her.

Danny was impatient as they made their way to another common room. This one held only a handful of people who seemed to be keeping to themselves. On one side of the room, leaning against the wall and looking out of the window was Steve. He was talking on his cell phone.

He couldn't wait any longer and almost ran right at Steve. The SEAL easily caught him and hugged him close. "Hey, let me call you back. I have something important I need to do now...Ok, thank you." 

Steve hung up and put his phone away. He gave a kiss to Danny's temple. "Hey, sweetheart. Glad to see you up and walking." 

Danny merely melted more into his love. Tears once again made an appearance, but he didn't bother to stop them. "Take me home. Please?"

Steve sighed and rubbed his back with one hand. "I'm sorry, baby, but not yet. You need to stay here for a little bit. I'll be here for as long as you are."

He shook his head. He felt like a child, but he didn't care. He's been through enough and he just wanted to leave so he could move on. "No, I don't want to stay. I just want to go home so we can move on."

"I know, buddy, but it doesn't work like that. These people are here to help you get to that point."

"Danny," Bethany's voice chimed in softly. Let's sit down and have a chat." Bethany said while gesturing to a corner that was unoccupied. They went and sat down, Danny was still clinging to Steve. 

"Now, here is the plan, Danny. You will be staying here until I believe you are ready to go home. I will continue being your therapist and we'll work together to get you better." Bethany quickly outlined. “After discussing with Olivia and Steve, we feel that you need some extra care. Your abduction was very traumatic.”

“As well as the memory gap? I know something else happened but no one will tell me.” Danny angrily responded.

Bethany nodded. “Your perception is spot on today. Yes, that is a consideration as well, although I wouldn’t call it a concern. Just something else we need to work through.”

Danny glared at her. A voice was telling him he was being unreasonable and that it was best to follow this plan. But the louder voice was his stubborn selfish side that just wanted to leave. He shook his head. "No, I don't like it. I want to go home."

Steve shifted uncomfortably as Bethany merely gave a smile. "Danny, I can tell that you're upset and agitated. However, for you to go home you need to jump through some hoops for me, ok? The sooner you work through them, the sooner you can leave."

He huffed out a breath and crossed his arms defiantly. "I'm fine. I just need some sleep and move on. Why can't anyone see that?"

Bethany leaned forward, not bothered by his posture. "This is what I call denial. You need help and it's not a bad thing to need help from a therapist. You know this, but I believe you just don't want to face what has happened over the last several months."

Danny slammed his fists on the coffee table in front of him. "You're right. I don't want to face that. Like I said, I just want to move on. I think the best way is to just leave it be."

"Do you really? What would happen if you have to do a raid on an abandoned warehouse? Hearing a specific accent or seeing someone that looked similar to your captors?" 

Danny felt himself begin to shake and his breath quickened at just the questions. A small part of him knew that this was denial. He just ignored it. He was fine.

"Bethany, please stop." Steve interjected. Worry and concern laced his voice.

"Not yet, Danny needs to admit that he needs help, right? How long can you trick yourself into believing you're ok?" She pushed even harder, her stance proving that she wasn't backing down.

"As long as I can, apparently." Danny growled out. He stood, fully intending to leave. However, when he got to his feet, his world became fuzzy and he felt numb. He slowly sat back down, not liking this feeling.

He looked at Bethany. "That wasn't a muscle relaxant."

She sighed and leaned back. "The painkiller had it. The other was a moderate dose of anti anxiety. I believe you need it. To help you cope."

He was going to disagree, but he suddenly didn't care anymore. He shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever." He felt weird and lethargic, but pleasantly numb. He leaned against Steve and laid his head on the SEAL's shoulder.

"Is this normal?" Steve asked.

Bethany nodded. "Yes. A small dose would just help keep him calm. A higher dose will keep him docile as we work. As he improves, I will have it lowered. Now, Danny, I think it's time for you to return to your room for some rest. I will meet with you this afternoon to go over the schedule."

He just nodded, but didn't move. He was safe and comfortable. She gave a small laugh and gently pulled him up. "Come on. Say goodbye to Steve. Maybe you can have dinner with him later."

Danny was positive he waved, but he couldn't remember if he did. He followed Bethany back to his room where he fell onto his bed. She covered him up with the blanket he had on earlier. "Get some sleep. I'll see you later." Then she left as he fell into a dreamless sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny starts his new treatment. 
> 
> Thank you for the support. Can't wait to here more of your thoughts. Enjoy!

The schedule turned out to be a strict one. He was woken up everyday at 7 AM. He always glared for a few hours because of the unholy hour. He was not a morning person.

He would then shower and dress before heading to breakfast. Once he ate the passable food, he was given his morning allotment of pills. He took those voluntarily after refusing to take them one day and two orderlies came over. They were three times his size and he wisely decided to concede this battle. 

Next he would have his morning session with Bethany. They were difficult for him, even with the pills. A couple of sessions ended with him being sedated for a few hours. He hated waking up from that and he always missed lunch. Not that it bothered him since he wasn't really hungry anyways.

He would have to exercise in the afternoon with one of the physical therapists. Thomas was his name and he pushed Danny. He kept saying that the more exercise he did, the better he would feel. It reminded Danny how Steve would exercise the same way everyday for years.

After that, he would then shower and get dinner. He would wolf that down along with his next round of meds so he could see Steve. It was the best part of his day.

The two would hang out until it was time for bed at 9 pm. Danny hated how early it was because he was a night owl and his insomnia wasn't helping. He was offered sleeping pills but he declined.

Zeke was his favorite nurse. The man would sometimes sit and talk with him in his room at night. He learned that Zeke was engaged to a beautiful woman who was an ER nurse at Tripler. They were preparing for their wedding that was seven months away. Zeke also was a surfer and enjoyed spending time outside. They got into a friendly argument over that.

Other nights, Zeke would merely come and check on him with a new pile of books for him to look through. Danny always told him how appreciative he was to the man. Zeke just smiled, let him know he will be back later, and leave. 

The hardest part about this whole situation was the fact that he couldn't see Grace. She was not allowed to see him until he was released. He agreed with that assessment since he really didn’t want her to see him like this. He lashed out sometimes and he didn’t have the energy to put on a brave face. He was able to talk to her over the phone and that seemed to help.

This went on for several weeks. Danny couldn't tell if anything was helping, but Bethany kept telling him it was. But nothing hurt more than getting some bad news from Steve.

They were sitting on a bench outside one evening, watching the sunset. Danny noticed Steve shifting as if he was nervous. After several minutes, he turned to the SEAL. "Ok, what's up with you?" Steve looked at him with wide eyes. "Don't give me that look. You've been sitting there for the last hour shifting like an impatient child."

Steve sighed and turned so he was looking at him. "Danny, I have to return to work tomorrow. The Governor won't let me put it off any longer. I'm going to have a couple of uniforms here while I'm gone, but I should be here in the evenings. If I can't, I'll call you."

Danny huffed and slouched into the bench. "Ok. I knew you would have to go back eventually, just not right now." He muttered quietly.

The brunette slid closer to him, gently grabbing the back of his neck. "I know, buddy. I want nothing more than to have you with me, but you need to finish your treatment. You're getting better. We just have to be patient."

"I hate this place. I want to go home." Danny muttered angrily as he folded his arms. His anti anxiety med was lowered today, so he didn't feel numb like he was used to. 

Steve pulled him close and hugged him. He gave some kisses to his head. "I know you do, but you are getting better. Just try to relax and focus on the treatment. Let me worry about everything else."

Danny sighed and laid his head on Steve's shoulder. He knew that he couldn't remember what happened between going to bed that one night and waking up in the hospital. Bethany wouldn't tell him and Steve was not allowed to say a word about it. He kept being told that he would remember when he was ready to deal with it.

Wrapping his arms around Steve's waist, Danny pulled himself closer and soaked up as much warmth as he possibly could. The SEAL petted his hair while one arm hugged him. "Soon everything will be back to normal." Steve gently pulled his face up until he was looking at him. "I love you." Steve kissed him slowly, gently and lovingly.

Danny leaned into the kiss, wanting to ingrain it into his heart. Who knows when they will enjoy something like this again.

He didn't realize he was crying until Steve pulled away and gently wiped them away with his thumb. "It's going to be ok, Danny. I'll see you as much as I can. I promise."

He nodded and they looked at the stars until Zeke came for Danny to head back to his room for the night.

~S~

Danny sighed as he looked out to the outside world from his room's window. He had just finished showering from his afternoon workout. It had been three weeks since Steve went back to work. The first week, Danny saw Steve everyday. The second week had been phone calls and a short visit on the weekend. The team had caught a new case and it was time sensitive. However, this last week, he hadn't seen or heard from Steve. He tried calling multiple times, but he just got the voicemail.

So, here he sat, done with the day's activities and feeling miserable. He felt incredibly lonely and isolated from everyone he loved. He really didn't feel like doing much of anything except to sit there looking out at the world that he craved to be in.

A knock on his door drew him out of his thoughts. A nurse opened the door and stuck her head in. “Time for dinner, Mr. Williams.”

“Thanks.” Danny muttered before looking back out of the window.

“Are you coming?” She asked after a minute. 

He shook his head. “No. I’m not hungry.”

“Ok. I’ll have someone check on you later.” She said then she left.

Danny sat there for a while watching the sun disappear and then watch the stars come out for the night. Another knock disturbed the quiet, but he didn’t bother turning around. 

“Hey, Danny. I was told you didn’t have dinner, so I brought some food with me.” Bethany’s voice floated to him.

He shrugged but stayed silent. He heard her put a bag down and then sat next to him. “Want to talk?” He shook his head. “Ok. Would you at least eat for me, please? It’s crucial that you keep your strength up.”

"I'm not hungry." 

"Danny, I'm very concerned right now. I was told that you ate a little yesterday but nothing today." She placed a hand on his arms that are currently wrapped around his knees. "What's going on? You are doing so well, but something has happened or there is something that you started thinking about that has you sliding back."

He glanced at her from the side for a moment, then he looked away sighing. "I think it would have been better if those men killed me the first time." He whispered.

But Bethany heard it. "Why do you think that? Steve and Grace would have missed you greatly. Not to mention your friends and the rest of your family in New Jersey."

"It would be easier. No one would need to worry about me and I wouldn't have to face what's in my head." Danny placed his forehead on his knees, hiding the tears that never seem to go away. "I'm not who I used to be. I'm broken."

"No, that's not true. You've been beaten down pretty far, but not broken." She said gently. "You are very strong. You've survived not one but two very traumatic experiences in a short amount of time. Not many would be sitting here right now like you."

Danny shook his head. He didn't believe that. How could he when Steve made up an excuse to leave him. Not that he could blame him. He lifted his head and looked at her, ignoring the tracks that appeared on his face. "I'm tired. I would like to sleep now." He paused for a second. "Can I get a sleeping pill, please?"

Bethany frowned at him. "Sure, I can get that arranged. But on one condition. You eat the food that I brought."

He sighed and got up to the table. He opened the bag and saw a single meal inside. He pulled out a cup of soup and a salad. He sat down and started eating.

"Good. I'll have Zeke bring you one. We'll talk more in the morning. Sleep well." Then she left.

Danny ate as much as he could, having a feeling Zeke would be left with instructions to check how much he actually ate.

20 minutes later, the dark skinned nurse came in and checked how much he ate. Just as Danny suspected. Satisfied, Zeke held out the small cup with a pill in it. Danny took it, washing the medicine down with some water. Then he climbed into bed, pulling the covers up tightly. 

"Goodnight, Detective. I'll check on you throughout the night." Zeke said before he left, turning off the lights.

It took a little bit for the pill to work, but once it did, Danny fell asleep where his mind tormented him with terrible nightmares.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny hits rock bottom. Steve gets a lead on who is behind the kidnappings.
> 
> Thanks for the support. Hope this story is keeping everyone guessing on what is going to happen next. Y'all are amazing. Enjoy the next chapter!

The next morning, Danny was in a bad mood. He felt even more tired than the night before. He still felt depressed and decided that he was going to stay in bed, the treatment be damned.

Of course, he was denied more sleeping pills, so he tossed and turned, ignoring any attempts from the staff to get him up. He cried a few times into his pillow, but he didn't care. He just wanted to sleep and never wake up again.

It was close to lunch by the time his door opened to reveal his therapist. "Hello, Danny. I suppose there is no point in asking how you feel today."

He looked at her and then shrugged. "Can I go home?"

She grabbed a chair and placed it in front of him. She sat down and shook her head. "I think that would not be a good idea right now. Why don't you tell me what you're thinking about? Doesn't matter what, just whatever comes to mind."

Danny laid there, hugging his pillow to his chest. "I'm thinking about how lonely I feel. How I want to be outside of this place, to sleep in my own bed, and how I wish none of this happened." He had raised his voice considerably by the time he finished speaking, his hands waving about angrily.

Bethany leaned forward on her knees. "I can't change the past and you're not ready to go home yet. Why do you feel lonely? Lots of other patients are here and the staff have taken a liking to you."

His hands seemed heavy all of a sudden, so he dropped them to the bed. "There's no one I know here." He whispered and he shoved his face into the pillow.

"I see. Would calling Grace or Steve make you feel better?"

He shook his head as he looked at her. "No. Talking to Grace on the phone makes me feel like a bad father. And Steve? Who knows about him. Haven't been able to get a hold of him at all this week. I'm sure he ran away and frankly, I can't say I blame him." Once again, tears appeared and this time, he didn't care. "I just want things normal or just make all of this go away. I'm always tired and I can't do what I want. I just want the pain to stop." He was almost sobbing now and he couldn't gain control. He was practically hysterical.

Bethany nodded and stood calmly. "Ok, Danny, I hear you. Try to calm down for me, ok?"

But he couldn't. There was a tightness to his chest and he cried into his pillow hard. He no longer cared about what was happening and just let himself cry. He was unaware of his surroundings as he let himself sink deeper into misery. 

A prick in his arm had him looking to see a syringe being emptied into his arm. The liquid was cold as it entered his veins. He felt the icy fingers spread up his arm. Once emptied, the syringe was removed.

His pillow was pulled from his grasp and positioned at its normal spot. Blankets were straightened and he was gently pushed down. Bethany appeared in his line of sight as he suddenly felt his eyelids get heavy. She stroked his shoulder as he laid there limp. "It's ok. Get some sleep."

He drifted off into blissful oblivion before he could respond.

~S~

Steve sighed as he watched the interrogation on the screen. The last two weeks had been hell for him. He noticed that Danny had stopped calling him a few days ago, but he didn't have time to talk to him.

Amongst the usual cases, there was Danny's case. And right now, being interrogated, was a suspect that would finally give them answers. Chin and Kono were tag teaming on the guy. Steve didn't trust himself to be in there.

The man was lanky, blond hair cut very short, an earring in one ear, light complexion and green eyes. He looked to be 25 years old. Low level in the gang world, but he had information. Steve could sense it.

After two hours, the cousins came into the bullpen. "This guy doesn't know a whole lot. He knows that Danny was targeted and tortured. He said something about the boss of the Italian mob that Danny and his team took out was getting a retrial and he needed the witness out of the way." Chin spoke first.

Kono picked up where Chin left off. "The good news is that he gave a name to someone higher up in the mob. Gertrude Evans from New York, but currently living here in Oahu."

Steve nodded. "Good work." His phone rang. He answered it without looking at the screen. "McGarrett."

"Steve, it's Bethany. I need you here at the hospital as soon as you can." She sounded very concerned and put Steve on edge. 

"Why? Is Danny Ok?" The cousins looked up from their work, worry written across their faces.

"Yes and no. Nothing terrible happened, but Danny needs you. He's extremely depressed and has had a setback in his treatment. I'll explain more when you arrive."

"Ok. On my way." He hung up and looked at his team. "I'm needed at the hospital. Danny isn't doing well. Look into this Gertrude and find out everything you can about her. I'll return as soon as I can." He started for the door.

"Steve, take all the time you need. I’ll call Lou to come help us out." Chin called out. "This case is important, but Danny is a higher priority. Look after him." 

"I will." He said, taking note of the warning that was given. Then he ran to the Camaro and sped towards the hospital.

~S~

Steve made it to the hospital in record time. Anxiety and worry was gnawing away at his insides. He parked and quickly made his way to the psychiatric ward without running, even though he wanted to. Once he arrived, he walked up to the receptionist. “Hi, here to see Dr. Bethany Lucas. I’m Steve McGarrett.” The young lady nodded and picked the phone while telling him to wait in the seating area. He flopped down, trying to gain control of himself and not start pacing.

“I’m glad you’re here so quickly.” Bethany said as she appeared. “Follow me and we’ll talk.” He followed here through a few doors and into an office. She closed the door and sat down next to him instead of behind the desk. “I’m very worried about Danny.” 

“Is he ok? What happened? Can I see him?” He asked each question like he was firing his gun at an armed suspect.

She raised her hand, indicating for him to be quiet. “Danny is currently sedated. He will be out of it for a while. I also have him set up on an IV for nutrients.” Bethany leaned forward, looking him in the eye. “Over the last couple of days, he has been refusing to eat. The nurses have told me that he says that he isn’t hungry, so he refuses meals. He still takes his medication, but he has become detached.” She leaned back in her chair with a sigh. “Last night, I asked him what was going on. He didn’t really want to talk, but he did mention that he should have died the first time he was captured. He said that it would have been easier. After that, he wanted to sleep and asked for a sleeping pill. I allowed it, but on the condition he ate the food that I brought him. He did as asked without complaint. This morning, I was told that he didn’t want to get out of bed. Even asked for another sleeping pill, but the staff has been given instruction to only give that out at night. I talked to him and he got extremely upset. He became so hysterical to the point that he couldn’t calm down. At that point, he was sedated so that his body could rest.”

Steve rubbed a hand over his face in frustration and shock. “I thought he was doing well.”

Bethany gave a sad smile. “The brain is a funny thing. You can take several steps forward, but then take a major step back. Danny admitted that he felt lonely and isolated. I’m certain that the depression he is feeling is the reason for these feelings. Which is another concern. I have decided to place him on a suicide watch, just to make sure he won’t try anything.”

He looked at her confused. “What does that mean?”

“It means that a nurse is nearby at all times. His room will be checked regularly for any items that could be harmful to him. When he takes his medications, they will check to see if he has swallowed them. A nurse will also be checking on him more often at night and a sedative is ready at all times.” She looked at him with a hard expression. “Danny is in a very bad place right now. At his current state, I would say he needs to stay here for at least two more months before I am comfortable for him to be released.”

Steve shook his head as he leaned forward, overwhelmed by this amount of information. “What about his job? Do you think he will be able to return to it?”

Bethany shrugged. “Honestly, I can’t answer that right now. It will depend on where Danny stands over the next several months. But you should be prepared for the fact that he may not be mentally able to handle that kind of job ever again. These last events have shaken him very badly. My goal is to get him back to a good, happy stable life whether he returns to work or not.”

He nodded his understanding while he felt nausea hit his stomach. “I understand.” He sat up and took a calming breath. It helped to push aside the sick feeling. “Can I see him?”

She nodded and stood. “Usually visitors aren’t allowed in the patient’s room, but I think an exception needs to be made here. As long as you stay in his room, then no one should make too much of a fuss. I don’t know when he will wake, he was given a pretty strong sedative. Also, he might be verbally aggressive. Try not to take it to heart, he just isn’t himself right now.” 

Steve nodded and motioned for her to lead the way as he pulled his cell out and typed a quick text to Chin saying he wasn’t sure when he would be back to work. He got a reply a minute later saying to take as long as he needed. They would take care of the case. He sighed as he arrived at Danny’s room and sat down in the chair that was next to the bed. Danny looked peaceful, but he noted the frown lines around his eyes and forehead. Faint tracks could be seen where tears had fallen. He placed his feet up on the edge of the bed and got comfortable for a long wait.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Steve have a talk.
> 
> Thank you for the continued support. Y'all are super amazing. On to the next chapter. Enjoy!

Danny returned to consciousness feeling drained and groggy. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton and it felt heavy. He peeled back his eyelids, trying to focus on his surroundings. He felt like he had the flu and his body was slow to respond.

He felt a hand brush over his hair. It was gentle and warm. “Danny, you with me, sweetheart?” Steve’s voice floated to him. He blinked a few more times until he could clearly see the face next to him.

“Steve?” Danny was annoyed at how slurred and gravely his voice sounded. “What are you doing here?”

The SEAL smiled. “Bethany asked me to come by. How are you feeling?”

Danny shrugged. “Does it really matter? All I want to do is go home, but no one will let me.” 

Steve sighed and continued petting his hair. “I know, buddy. I want you home, too. But you need to get better before you can."

He shook his heavy head. “I want it now.” He grasped the hand on his head. “Please, Steve? Take me home.” Tears welled up and fell.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I can’t. Not yet. Soon, ok?” Steve said, struggling to keep his own tears at bay.

“Danny, you remember what we talked about earlier, right? You need to get stronger before you can leave.” Bethany spoke up and came into his line of sight.

“Yeah. I do.” Then he angrily pushed Steve’s hand away. “Just leave me alone. Besides, you didn’t want to be here.” He muttered and rolled over until his back was facing them.

“Sweetheart, be reasonable. Shutting everything out isn’t making progress. Only denying what you need to do.” Steve tried to reason. Danny merely sighed and curled up into a little ball. He felt cold suddenly. A small pinch in his right hand made him look at it. An IV needle was secured there, but it was currently free from any tubing. So he had been hooked up to something at one point. 

Another blanket was laid over him, helping to chase the cold away. “Get some rest, buddy. Dinner will be brought in soon.” Steve said as he slowly rubbed his hand where his shoulder was under the blankets.

Danny sighed and slowly drifted off, wondering if he would ever get to leave this place.

~S~

When he woke next, he felt like he was in a tight, hot cocoon. He blinked his eyes open sleepily, happy to find that they didn’t feel as heavy, to find two long arms wrapped around him and his head was laying on a warm strong chest.

“Hey, buddy.” Steve’s said close to his ear. A hand rubbed his back gently. “Feel any better?”

Danny lifted his head and looked at him. He could see the worry lines on Steve’s face even though the SEAL was trying to hide it. “I guess. Not as groggy.”

Steve smiled and brushed some loose hair out of his face before kissing his temple. “That’s good to hear.”

Danny suddenly realized that Steve was here and he felt some anger stirring in his chest. “Why are you here, Steven? You left.” He said accusingly.

The SEAL tensed. “I’m sorry, Danno. I’m here for you. I’m sorry you felt like I left. There have been a lot of cases and I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Well, you failed with that.” He growled.

“I’m so sorry. I swear I didn’t mean for you to feel that way. I honestly thought I was helping you by not letting you worry.” Steve gave a small squeeze. “Hey, I’m here now and I promise I won’t let you feel that way again.”

Danny forced himself to look into Steve’s face, searching to see how sincere he was being. The hazel eyes that he adores so much were filled with nothing but sincerity and guilt. He sighed, feeling his anger dissipate into thin air and laid his head back down. “Ok.”

Steve sighed and his tension left his body. “Thanks, buddy. Are you hungry? The nurse dropped off a tray a few minutes ago for you.”

He shook his head. He still had no interest in food or anything edible. He wrapped an arm around his waist, enjoying the closeness that he hasn’t felt in weeks.

“Baby, you need to eat, otherwise they will have to force you. I really don’t want that to happen. Can you try for me? For Grace?” Steve pleaded to him. “You can stay right here if you want, but I would like you to eat.” Danny turned his head and looked at him for a moment. He sighed and nodded his head.

“Good. Thank you.” The relief in Steve’s voice was obvious as the brunette reached for something. When he pulled back, a table on wheels was next to the bed and there was a tray with a plastic pink cover on it. Steve removed it to reveal a plate filled with easy to eat foods. There was rice, chicken, applesauce and jello. “Now, what do you want first?”

Danny shrugged. He really didn’t care and he strangely felt like he was having an out of body experience. He felt detached and uncaring, which he knew that wasn’t good, but again he didn’t care. 

Steve made a decision and picked up the jello. He opened it and handed him a spoon which he took. Steve held onto the jello as Danny dipped his spoon in and slowly ate it. Once he finished that, it was replaced with the plate that now rested on Steve’s lap and a fork was pushed into his hand. Sighing, he slowly ate what was on the plate, knowing he was only doing this for Steve.

The SEAL talked about Grace and what the team had been up to while he ate. He listened, but didn’t offer any words. Danny managed to eat a third of the plate before he put the fork down and gently pushed it away. Steve sighed and put the plate back on the tray. Danny laid there for a while, trying to memorize how this feels for later. Steve continued to talk and he found himself dozing to the sound of his voice.

Suddenly, his door opened and Zeke walked in with a small smile. He didn’t realize it was night time. “Hey, Danny. Glad to see you awake. I got your meds here that you need to take.” He glanced at the table and smiled bigger. “And you ate something. That’s great to see. Now, come on, take these and I’ll leave you two alone.” He put the little cup of pills on the table along with a bottle of water.

Steve picked up the pills and handed it to him which he tossed them back without even looking at them. He swallowed them with some water and then laid back down. “Danny, can you open please? Just to be sure you got them down ok.” The Detective raised an eyebrow at him. This was new and he suspected that he was being watched even closer now. But he complied and opened his mouth since Zeke had always been nice to him. After a few moments, the man nodded. “Thank you. I’ll check on you later.” Then he left.

About 30 minutes later, Bethany came in. By this time, Danny started to feel weird. He still felt miserable, but he felt like something was trying to make him perky. It was a strange combination.

“Hi, Danny, Steve. How are you guys doing?” Bethany asked as she moved the table and brought a chair closer to sit in.

“I’m doing ok. How about you, buddy?” Steve asked, gently bumping him to get him to respond.

After a few moments, Danny cleared his throat. “What did you give me? I feel strange.” 

“Strange how?” She asked leaning forward.

“Like I still feel disconsolate but at the same time something is trying to make me perky. I haven’t felt like this before, so it was some kind of med that you gave me.” He accused her while narrowing his eyes.

Bethany gave a small laugh. “Well, at least your Detective instinct is still working. I had them give you an antidepressant. I believe you are extremely depressed, which isn’t uncommon with anxiety and a very traumatic event. This should help you get yourself back onto your feet.”

He continued to glare. “And the constant checking on me and having the nurse check to see if I swallowed the meds?”

“Again, your logical reasoning is very keen. I think you can figure out why.” She said calmly.

Danny thought for a moment over the new changes. Then it dawned on him and he sat up angrily, ignoring the dizziness that appeared. “I’m not suicidal.” He growled.

“Never said you were. Merely a precaution.” She said without flinching. "Danny, you have to understand our point of view. What you said last night and your behavior this morning has me very concerned for your mental status. I am just making sure all of us are safe and that includes you. I don't want you to make a decision you might regret later if made irrationally."

Danny stood up shakily, brushing Steve's hands off where he was trying to calm him. He could feel his muscles vibrating. Whether it was from anger or lack of movement he wasn't sure. "Why can't you see that I need time to get my head on straight. To do that I need to be left alone and to go home."

Bethany watched calmly for a moment. "You can't go home right now. However," she said quickly, making Danny quiet. "I've been talking to Steve and Dr. Sterling. A change of scenery might be good for you. So, depending on how good a patient you are, I will allow, for lack of a better term, field trips. You can pick a day once a week to leave the hospital with Steve and a nurse to do whatever you want. But you have to comply by my rules, eat regularly, complete all exercises and you have to be with Steve or the nurse at all times. Those are my conditions, take it or leave it."

He stood there for a long minute and then shook his head in defeat. He was too tired to pick a fight right now. “Fine, I will follow your rules." He stomped to the window and sat down before his shaky legs gave out on him. After a moment, he looked at her. "I can't go now, can I?"

"No. Your body needs to recover a little more. Sometime next week I think we can have the first one." She stood up and headed to the door. "Remember our deal, Detective. If you don't do all of those things, you will have to wait another week. Steve, can I speak with you for a moment." 

The SEAL nodded and got up. "I'll be back in a minute, buddy." He said, then he followed the Doctor out.

It was several minutes before Steve returned and Danny had gone back to the bed and curled up under the covers. He was still very cold and he didn't know why.

"Hey, sweetheart?" Steve asked as he sat on the edge of the bed. He combed his fingers through his hair and Danny almost purred in contentment. "If it's ok with you, the nurses are going to bring in a bed for me so I can sleep here tonight."

Danny looked at him in surprise. "Stay here with me?"

"If you're ok with it."

"Y-y-yeah. That's fine. Just figured you would want to go home." He stuttered out. 

Steve shook his head, guilt showing in his eyes. "I'm home wherever you are." He caressed a cheek which Danny nuzzled into. "I'm sorry about this week.”

"I thought you left me." Danny said quietly after a minute of silence.

"I will never leave you. I've been working on your case. Trying to figure things out. I thought I would spare you some pain by not talking to you. But, in the end, I guess it made me look like I ran away." Steve leaned down and gave Danny a chaste kiss. "I will always come for you. I love you more than the entire world." He paused for a moment. "Except Gracie. She beats you by a margin." He smiled.

Danny burst out laughing. A true real laugh that he hadn't done in ages. "Thanks, babe." He manages to say.

Steve smiles and kisses him passionately. "I love you and I'll always be here for you."

A knock at the door drew their attention and they saw Zeke in the doorway. "Hate to break up you lovebirds, but where do you want this bed?" He says smiling.

"Right here will be good." Steve said, pointing at the spot near the bed that Danny was laying on. Zeke came in and sat up the cot in no time. "Here you go. I'll be in and out most of the night, but I'll be as quiet as I can." He stood and headed for the door. "Good night. See you in the morning." Then he left, closing the door behind him.

"Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll tackle any problems that appear." 

They got ready for bed and got under the covers. "Good night, Danny. See you in the morning." They kissed before settling down and went to sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny goes on his first field trip. Grace joins in on the fun.
> 
> Time for some fun. Zeke is probably my favorite OC. What do y'all think of him? Thanks for the continued support. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

The next week was a difficult week for Danny. He had to battle against not wanting to do anything and stay in bed. He had to force food down and poor Thomas was frustrated at him for not putting as much effort into his workout. Bethany addressed that issue quickly. If he didn't put more effort in, then he couldn't leave the grounds later. She understood that it was hard, but her expectations for him were higher than his own. 

Steve slept in his room with him for three nights before being kicked out. He had work to do at 5-0 anyways, but he put more effort into answering his phone or calling Danny.

Finally, the day arrived that Danny could leave the hospital for a while. At least he hoped he could. It depended on what Bethany had to say. For the last couple of days, he asked her every chance he got if he would be able to leave. She always responded with, "we'll see."

Danny dragged himself out of bed that morning. He still was very reluctant to leave it, but the promise of leaving these four walls was much more appealing.

He got ready for the day, making sure his hair was closer to it’s normal slick back look than the sloppy wavy mess it has been. He was very anxious when he went to eat, but he managed to choke down his breakfast. While eating, he contemplated on why he hadn't seen Zeke last night. It was his normal day to work and he asked the nurse where he was. She had said that he wasn't scheduled to work that night. 

Bethany met him in his room after he returned from breakfast. Danny jumped up from the bed in anticipation. "Well, what's the verdict?" He said impatiently.

"Most people say good morning or hello before asking questions." She said with a smile.

Danny sighed. "Good morning, Bethany."

"Much better. As for your question, after speaking with all of the staff, I think I can be satisfied with the result and release you for the day. But," she held up a hand to stop Danny from speaking and running off. "I expect you to do better on everything starting tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am." Danny meekly said. He suddenly felt like a child who just got chastised.

"Good. Now, ground rules for today. I've already talked to the nurse that will be with you and Steve about this, so don't try to get any ideas. 1. You are to stay with either both or the nurse or Steve at all times. 2. You can go wherever you want but I expect you back by 8 pm. Not even one minute after. 3. You will eat when told to, whether you feel hungry or not. 4. If you feel overwhelmed or anxious somewhere, you will leave immediately. No tough guy attitude. This is supposed to help you, not hinder. Any questions?"

Danny nodded. "Can I sleep at home?"

Bethany smiled and laughed. "Steve, said you would probably ask. We'll see how these field trips go and re-evaluate at a later date on that. Ok?" 

"Yeah."

She nodded and gently grabbed his arm, pulling him along. "Excellent. Now, let's get you out of here for a few hours. Steve brought you some clothes that you can change into."

They walked to the visiting area and Danny was surprised to see Zeke there. The big man was wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of scrubs. A small satchel hung from his shoulder. "Zeke? What are you doing here?"

He gave a huge smile. "I was told about this field trip idea and volunteered to be the first nurse to participate. Besides, can't let my favorite patient have an adventure without me." He winked.

Steve came over and hugged him tight before kissing him. "Here, buddy. Go change and we'll head out." He said, holding up a bag. Danny took it and quickly made his way to the closest bathroom. He changed quickly, happy to find jeans, a t-shirt, and his sneakers. He placed his scrubs and slippers in the bag before walking out. 

"Ok, can we go?" He asked. He was practically buzzing with energy compared now.

Steve laughed while Zeke smiled. "Yeah, sweetheart. Let's go." The SEAL swung an arm around his shoulders and led him out with Zeke following behind. 

"Have fun. Don't let him break the rules." Bethany called as they left.

Once outside, Danny paused just to enjoy the feeling of finally being outside of the hospital. Then they got into the Camaro and Zeke somehow was able to fold himself into the back seat. Steve started the car and looked at Danny. "Alright, so what are we doing today?"

Danny thought about it for a second. "I guess the beach and, of course, see Grace. Some better food than hospital and maybe stop at my favorite look out?" He shrugged. He wasn't sure what else to do.

Steve smiled. "Sure, buddy. I think we can bail Grace out of school for the day. I already talked to Rachel and she said that it was fine. Ready to see your little girl?"

All Danny could do was nod vigorously. He hadn't seen his daughter for far too long. Steve put the car in gear and sped off towards the school.

It was easy for Steve to go in and check Grace out for the day. Danny stood outside of the car pacing. He was having a hard time waiting.

"DANNO!" Grace's voice made him turn in time to catch his tall daughter. He hugged her tight and she returned it just as tightly. "I've missed you."

The familiar feel of tears entered his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He’s spent too much time and energy crying. "I've missed you too, monkey." He kissed her head, basking in her warmth.

Eventually, they separated. "Uncle Steve said you wanted to go to the beach. You hate the beach."

Danny laughed. "True, but I've been cooped up and I think some sun will be good. What better place than the beach."

Grace beamed and pointed at her backpack. "Good thing I packed my swimsuit today."

"Yes and I imagine that super SEAL packed mine." He glanced at the now guilty brunette who shrugged. "Besides, I have to see how my friend here Zeke is on the waves." He smiled at the big man.

Zeke smiled. "Nice to meet you, Grace. Your Dad talks about you all the time." He looked at Danny. "I hope you don't mind, but I invited my fiance to meet us at the beach. It's her day off." 

"That's fine. I would like to meet her anyway. She sounds nice."

"Alright, we have a plan. Everyone in the car. Let's head to the beach." Steve smiled as he opened the car door.

~S~

Zeke's fiance was a tall, athletic woman named Sabrina Martinez. She had short curly blonde hair, tanned skin and a pleasant accent from the mainland. She still towered over Danny which he found disconcerting.

Danny sat on the beach with Steve as Grace, Sabrina and Zeke hit the waves. He tried to convince the SEAL to join them, but Steve was insistent that if he did then Bethany would have his head.

"How's Chin and Kono?" Danny suddenly broke the silence. He just now realized that he hadn't even thought about the cousins since he has been in the hospital. He felt bad about that.

"They're good. They miss you. They wanted me to tell you to hurry up and get better. Kono mentioned something about you being the only one to control me." Steve said with a serious face, but the twinkle in his eye gave away his humor.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Very funny."

The SEAL laughed before sobering. "Seriously, man, they're good and miss you a lot. Everyone misses you."

He looked at Steve in confusion. "What are you trying to say, Steve?" He asked, feeling worried.

Steve took a breath. "I've just been wondering if you'll be able to come back to work. It doesn't matter if you do or not, just curious I guess." He looked at the ocean, intently. "All I know is that I want you to be healthy and living a happy life again." He turned back to Danny and laid a hand on the side of his neck. "I love you and I hate seeing you upset or unhappy."

Danny gently grabbed onto Steve's hand. "I love you too, babe. I honestly don't know about anything. I'm sorry, but I don't really think about tomorrow or the future. Just on today."

Steve nodded and pulled Danny close to him. "That's ok. As long as we are together, everything else will work itself out." He then captured Danny's lips and kissed him passionately. The blonde leaned into the kiss, enjoying every second of it.

At least he was until cold water was dumped on him. He jerked away, feeling his heart beginning to race. 

A giggle was heard and a scolding, but it all sounded far away. Then his world shifted and he was back there. He felt his body tied down and hearing laughter. Seeing the car battery being pulled out and hooked up with cables. He couldn't help it and screamed. He tried to move but he was held in place. 'NO! IT'S OVER! IT'S OVER! THEY ARE DEAD!' He thought to himself desperately, but what he was seeing wouldn't go away. 

He felt a sharp pinch in his arm, then blessed oblivion finally took him away.

~S~

Steve was enjoying the moment. Kissing Danny was normal and it felt right. He was loving how the blonde moved closer and how his warm, soft lips felt against his.

Water soaked them, interrupting the blissful moment. He turned and glared at the young boy standing next to them holding a now empty bucket. He giggled and pointed. "That's so gross."

"I don't care. That was disrespectful. Now, go find your mom." Steve growled. 

The boy merely laughed some more. "I'm going to do it again." He announced while holding up his bucket.

Steve was about to get up, when he felt Danny suddenly stiffen next to him. He looked at the blonde and cursed. He was pale and starting to shake. His pupils were blown wide and he was breathing fast. "Danny?...Danny!" He shook his shoulder but got no response.

He turned to tell the boy to leave when Danny let out a gut wrenching scream. Steve immediately forgot about the kid and tried to get Danny's attention. It didn't work.

Feeling helpless, Steve turned to the waves and waved his hand frantically, hoping Zeke would return fast. When he saw the man making haste for the beach, Steve turned back to his partner. 

"Come on, buddy. You're ok. It's not real." He tried to reason, but it didn't seem he was getting through.

"What happened?" Zeke's voice reached him as the man ran towards him. Grace and Sabrina behind him. 

Steve turned desperate eyes to him. "A kid dumped water on him and I think it threw him into a flashback. I can't seem to get through to him."

Zeke nodded. "Ok, look after Grace. Sabrina, help me." The woman nodded and knelt next on the opposite side of Danny. He didn't even notice anything. 

Grace clung to Steve. "Is Danno gonna be ok?" Tears were rolling down her face and he realized this was the first time Grace has seen her Father like this. He hugged her tightly.

"In time, he will be." He hoped he wasn't making empty promises. He looked at the nurses working on his partner. 

Sabrina was rubbing Danny's sternum and would gently thump it randomly. Zeke was doing anything he could think of. Pinching an arm, shaking a shoulder, even yelling straight into the blonde's ear. Nothing worked. In fact, it seemed to make it worse.

Finally, Zeke shook his head and picked up his bag. He pulled out a small plastic box with a lock on it. He put in the combination and pulled out a syringe.

Sabrina cleaned a spot on Danny's arm using an alcohol swab. Zeke uncapped the needle and plunged it into the cleaned spot. In moments, Danny went completely limp and his eyes closed. 

Once it was quiet, Steve suddenly noticed the crowd that had formed. He pulled himself together and turned to the crowd. “Everything is alright, nothing to see here. Everyone, go back to what you were doing.” He commanded. After a minute, the crowd had dissipated.

"What did you do?" Grace asked after everyone was gone.

Zeke sighed. "I gave your Father a sedative. He'll sleep for a while. I'm afraid that the fun is over." He looked at Steve. "We need to take him back so he can rest."

Steve nodded. "Can we make a couple of stops first?"

"Sure. He'll be out of it for hours." Zeke turned to Sabrina and kissed her. "Sorry, love, but duty calls."

"I know. Go do your thing. I'll see you at home." She kissed one last time and then gathered her stuff. She looked at Steve and Grace and smiled. "It was nice to meet you. We'll have to do this again. Without the drama of course." 

"Thanks, Sabrina. Hope to see you again soon." Steve said. Then they waved goodbye as she left. He turned to the teen. "Can you get our things while we help Danno to the car?" She nodded and moved to pack their bags. 

Zeke and Steve carried the blonde to the car and buckled him in. Then loaded everything up and headed out. 

The first stop was for food. A quick take out order from Kamekona and then they dropped Grace off at home. Steve assured her that everything would be fine and would have Danny call her later if it wasn't too late.

They returned to the hospital and Zeke retrieved a wheelchair to put Danny in. They made quick work of getting him back to his room and transferred to his bed. Steve had just put everything away when Bethany walked in.

"You're back early, so I can only assume something happened." She said while looking at the sleeping blonde. 

Zeke filled her in quickly on the events and that he had to sedate him. She nodded and sighed. "Steve, has Danny ever mentioned anything about water before during his time in captivity?"

"Yes, ma'am. He had talked about being soaked with water that was dumped on him before they hooked him up to a car battery. They almost did it again on the second kidnapping before we escaped."

"I see. So water being poured on him is an issue that needs to be worked on. Do you know if he was remembering the first or second kidnapping?" She asked in contemplation.

"No idea. He wasn't speaking or responding."

She nodded. "Ok. Thank you. How was the rest of the time?"

Zeke smiled. "He was doing well, in my opinion. Even perked up at seeing his daughter. No issue to be seen until the water incident."

"Good. I'll have to review and rethink some things." She turned to Steve. "Would you be ok staying here until he wakes or do you need to go?"

Steve shook his head before sitting in a chair he dragged next to the bed. "I'm fine. I'll stay as long as I need to."

"Excellent. Thank you. A friendly face will help. Hit the nurse call button when he wakes up. I would like to check on him when he is awake. Now, if you'll excuse me. I have another patient." She left with Zeke following.

Steve got comfortable and ate his shrimp fried rice, settling in for a long wait.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny gets frustrated. Steve has a revelation.
> 
> Thank you for the continued support. Can't wait to hear your thoughts. Enjoy!

Danny groaned as a familiar fog hung around him. He groggily forced his eyes open, wondering why he had been sedated...again. 

His head and body still felt heavy and it took a lot of effort to move an arm from underneath himself where it had fallen asleep.

A warm hand brushed the loose hair out of his face. "Hey, sweetheart. How are you feeling?" A familiar voice asked him from the side.

He groaned as he turned his lead heavy head towards him. "Groggy." He muttered.

"I can imagine. You've been asleep for a while." Steve leaned over and pushed a button. Then he gave Danny a kiss. "You had me worried. Glad you're feeling better."

Danny looked at him confused. "What are you talking about? I must have had a bad therapy session or something." He grumbled. 

Steve blinked, a look of surprise on his face. Before he could say anything, the door opened. "Hello, Danny. Glad to see you awake." Bethany entered, following her greeting.

"He just told me that he thinks he had a bad therapy session." Steve blurted, hurt in his tone.

Bethany glanced at him. "Easy, Steve. Looks like he just woke up. Give him a minute."

Danny yawned and let his heavy eyelids close. He was still very tired.

"Danny? Can you wake up for me?" He grunted and twitched a few fingers in a dismissive way. A gentle hand fell on his shoulder. It was too small to be Steve's, so it must belong to Bethany. "Go back to sleep. I'll check on you later." Danny happily obliged and went back to sleep.

He didn't know how long he slept but it was very dark when he woke. The only light was coming from the hall. Not even the city lights could make it up to his window. 

Danny sleepily rubbed his eyes open and slowly sat up. He was glad to find that his body didn't feel heavy this time. "Steve?" He called quietly. The sound of movement was heard to his left.

The lamp next to him was turned on and Steve was standing next to him. The SEAL quickly sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey, baby, you ok?"

"Yeah. How long have I been asleep?" 

Steve looked at his watch. "About 12 hours."

"Son of a…" Danny ran a hand over his face in frustration. That's the longest he has slept in weeks. "What happened? We were at the beach, right?" He asked as he looked at the scrubs he was now wearing. He wondered who changed his clothes.

Steve gave a small smile. "Yes, we were." He gave Danny a chaste kiss on the lips before hitting a button behind Danny.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked with narrowed eyes.

The SEAL held up his hands in a sign of peace. "Merely doing as instructed. Otherwise, Bethany might take my head. That woman can be quite terrifying when she is angry."

The door opened and Zeke appeared. He was still wearing his jeans and shirt. "Well, look who finally returned to the land of the living."

"Shouldn't you be at home?" Danny asked.

"Nah. Sabrina would yell at me, kick me to the couch and glare at me for days if I didn't check and made sure you were ok." The big man walked over to the table and easily moved it to sit next to the bed. He set up a tablet that Danny hadn't realized that he was carrying. “Now, Dr. Lucas wanted to speak with you as soon as you were awake enough to hold a conversation.”

He tapped a few keys on the tablet and a video call was established. Not long after, it was connected and Bethany appeared on the screen. Her hair was messy from sleep and she was wearing a simple shirt. It was obvious that she had been in bed.

“Glad you are awake. You had us worried for a while.” Bethany smiled. 

Danny blinked and looked between her and Steve. “This conversation could have waited until morning.”

She nodded and gave a small laugh. “I could have, but I was very concerned and wanted to make sure you were ok.”

“I’m fine. Just...tired.” Danny replied, annoyed. “Would everyone relax? I’m not made of glass. I’m not going to break any second. So, leave me alone and get some rest.” He was shouting by the end as well as frustrated. He wanted to be left alone. He grabbed the blankets and turned over until his back was to everyone.

“Danny, we’ve talked about this. Refusing to talk and face what concerns you isn’t going to help.” Bethany said. He stayed silent. As far as he was concerned, he was done talking for now.

Steve sighed behind him. “Sorry, Bethany. Danny is done for the night. Let’s get some sleep and try again tomorrow.” The blonde felt the bed dip and a kiss was placed on his head. “Get some rest, babe. I’ll see you in the morning.” Then Steve moved and after some shuffling, heard the door close.

Danny rolled over and saw the room empty. He was alone, even the tablet was gone. He sighed and flopped onto his back. He sighed and rubbed his face in aggravation. He got what he wanted, but now...he just wanted Steve to be here. 

He closed his eyes and waited for sleep, ignoring the tears that slowly rolled down his cheeks. 

~S~

Steve sighed as he made himself as comfortable as he could on the couch in the visitor area. It was going to be a long night. 

He felt hurt when Danny declared to be left alone. Steve couldn't blame him because he would have reacted the exact same way. But it still hurt. He wished he could take this pain away from his love. He hated not seeing the natural grumpy but happy side of the short man. Now Danny was filled with true anger, sadness, fear and depression. Even Grace didn't seem to be quite enough anymore.

Steve punched his pillow for what felt like the twentieth time. He thought about sleeping in Danny's room, but felt if he did that then he would probably get slugged in the face. No, better to stay on the couch.

"Commander?" Zeke's quiet voice startled Steve for a second. Sitting up, he looked at the tall man. 

"Yeah, Zeke, what is it?"

"Nothing, sir. I thought I'd offer you an actual bed to try and sleep on. There is an empty room down that hallway." He pointed in the direction he was speaking. "It will be comfier than this old thing."

Steve smiled and got up, grabbing his small bag and pillow. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"No problem, brah." Zeke led the way to the empty room. Steve put his stuff down before looking at the other man. He debated for a moment to ask the nurse what he thought about Danny’s recovery. Then he decided to just go for it.

"You've been watching Danny for awhile. Do you think he'll recover?" He held his breath, afraid of the answer.

Zeke thought for a minute. "I've seen many patients not recover from things less intense than him. However, he is strong, even if he doesn't see it." He paused, then he looked at Steve. "I would like to think that he will get to a point where he will enjoy life again, but...maybe not the same way he used to. I didn't know him before coming here, but a change in career might be in the future." He paused for a moment. “Or he will surprise all of us and be able to return to his job.”

The SEAL nodded. "Thanks, Zeke. You've been a good friend, especially to Danny."

"It's nothing. Get some sleep and I'll see you in a couple of days. Time for me to head home and hit the sack."

"Ok. Goodnight. Drive safe." Zeke nodded and then left, closing the door behind him.

Steve laid down and sighed. He felt a small pain in his heart. The thought of Danny not returning to work was a hard pill to swallow. After all, the shorter man was his backup and the only person he could completely trust. 

He rolled onto his side and finally let himself cry into his pillow. He finally let go everything he was feeling. The helplessness, rage, loneliness, and time lost. He grieved for the first time in a long time. He knew there was a possibility that Danny wouldn't come back to work, but the reality of it hurt more than he would have thought.

He wasn't sure what to do, so he allowed himself to cry quietly until he fell asleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A different tactic is used in Danny's treatment.
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me. I know this is very long, but the plot bunny took over at some point. Hope you enjoy!

The next morning, Steve found himself in an office with Bethany. Danny was currently having breakfast while they met in private.

"Thanks for meeting with me before either of us saw Danny this morning." Bethany started as they sat down. 

"Be honest with me." Steve got right to business. He had been thinking all night and now he was concerned if and when he needed to start getting things in order. Lots of paperwork would need to be completed to phase Danny out of 5-0. Returning guns and ammo along with tac gear and getting discharge pay set up. It would be a very long process. "Where do you see Danny when his treatment is done?"

Bethany sighed. "Commander, it's hard to tell at this point. The good news is that I think that we have finally reached his lowest point. He can only go up from here. The bad news is he still needs a lot of treatment before he is ready to be released." She leaned forward to look at him better. "My hope is that he will be able to live a normal life once again."

"And 5-0? Will he return to that?"

"I don't know. If I had to guess. I would say most likely not. I believe that Danny has gone past his breaking point and I think mentally, he will not be able to handle that kind of stress again. At least not easily. I have increased his meds to a higher dose to counter his depression and tolerance to his treatment. I encourage you to look at making changes at home to accommodate what he would need. For example, making a room a safe place for him to go to when things get too much."

Steve sighed as the knife in his heart was pushed deeper. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

Bethany's eyes softened. "I'm sorry. I know it's not the greatest news, but maybe we'll get fortunate and he will prove us wrong." She sat back. "Truth of the matter is we need to wait. In the meantime, my plan right now is to start tackling his triggers one at a time."

The SEAL looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is to take each trigger, for example water being poured onto him, and start desensitizing him from those things. It won't be easy and if we don't address it, then he can't live a normal life."

Steve nodded. "That makes sense. What do you want me to do."

Bethany sighed. "The first trigger starts now. You will leave and not come back until I tell you to."

He stared at her in shock. "Why? I can help Danny through things."

"Exactly. He has become very dependent on you. I think subconsciously he knows that you will always protect him and comfort him. The truth is he needs to learn to stand on his own and fight his battles. He may not realize that is what he is doing but his reaction last night only confirmed what I had suspected. He needs to be separated from you. Now," she held up her hand before Steve could speak. "I'm not cruel. You can visit him one day a week."

After a few moments, Steve managed to get words out. "What about leaving the grounds?"

She nodded in acknowledgement. "I will keep that. In fact, it would make sense for him to take trips with you visiting. Rewarding him with trips out seemed to make quite an impact in his motivation on working on his treatment." She stood up. "This may seem harsh, but like I said at the beginning, he needs tough love. I really do think this is best, especially after you told me before all of this he was very stubborn and independent. I would like him to rediscover that part of himself again." She headed to the door and grabbed the handle. "Any questions?"

Steve stood as well and nodded. "Yes, what about phone calls?"

Bethany thought about that for a moment. "I will allow him to call his daughter once a day. I would suggest every other day to call you, but if he really needs to talk to you, I will allow it. Again, he is dependent and needs to start doing things on his own. I'm still worried that the day you both were kidnapped has not surfaced yet. I think with you temporarily out of the picture, this will force it to come forward."

The SEAL nodded before sighing. "You know this is going to hurt Danny with me leaving. He didn't want to be here in the first place."

"I know, but you both will have to suck it up and deal. I know you told him you would see him this morning. You have an hour, after that, you will say goodbye for a while."

Steve nodded. "Fair enough."

Bethany half smiled and laid a hand sympathetically on his shoulder. "This is for the best. Obviously, I'm guessing here. We'll adjust as I figure out what works best and what doesn't." Then she opened the door and led the way back to the visitor room. 

She waved her hand at the couch. "Wait here. I'll go get him." Then she left.

Steve sat and waited. He thought about what he was going to say when he told Danny that he had to stay away for awhile. He wasn't sure what to say, but he knew that it was going to get ugly.

"Steve." Danny's voice drew his attention. He stood and held him close. He inhaled his scent and engraved it into his memory. This was going to be just as hard on him as it would be for Danny.

"You can let go now." Danny sniped. Steve immediately let go. 

"Sorry. Just missed you since you kicked everyone out last night."

The blonde sighed and looked down. "I know. I'm sorry, I just wasn't up to anything last night." 

Steve gently grabbed his chin and pulled it up. "I know you didn't mean it, baby. It was a rough day yesterday." He gently kissed him before pulling him onto the couch.

"Remember, Commander. One hour." Bethany reminded him before walking away.

Danny looked at him confused. "Why one hour?"

Steve chewed his lip nervously. "Well, Bethany and I have come up with a plan to hopefully get you back on your feet."

"Ok." The blonde said slowly, suspicion entering his eyes.

He took a deep breath and faced Danny fully. “Listen, babe. The next part of treatment is going to be very difficult. For both of us, but we think that you are being too dependent on me. We don’t think you realize it, but it may be best for us to distance ourselves until you’re more independent. I’ll visit, of course, but not as much as I have been.” He forced himself to watch the blue eyes change from suspicion to shock to anger and finally hurt. Tears formed in those blue eyes and Steve swallowed. This was going to get ugly faster than he thought.

“If you want to leave me, then just tell me. I know I’m harder to deal with, I get that, but using my treatment as an excuse to distance yourself? I thought you were better than that.” Danny angrily stood and started pacing. “Just tell me you don’t want to be with me. That is perfectly clear on what you want.” He pointed a finger at Steve, a scowl on his face that was quickly becoming wet as tears fell.

Steve quickly stood and grabbed the outstretched hand. He held it tightly, refusing to let go. “Danny, listen to me. I’m not leaving you. I could never do that. I love you too much. But you have to take a moment and realize that what you are doing is not fighting. You need to learn to stand up to your fears and if that means I have to distance myself I will.” He pulled Danny close to him and gently cupped his jaw. “I love you and that grumpy, happy side that you have. I love your stubborn and feisty fighting spirit. But lately, that side has been missing. I think it’s time for you to find that again.” 

Danny shook his head and pushed himself away, yanking his hand back. “I don’t believe you.” He whispered, looking at the floor.

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” Steve asked gently. He wanted to hold Danny, but decided it would be best to give his lover space. When Danny didn’t answer, he continued. “Look, I think the time apart will do you good. Help get your head on straight.” Now he moved forward and gently lifted the shorter man’s face. “I love you more than anything in this life. Always remember that.” He kissed him deeply, pleased when Danny accepted his tongue into his mouth. 

They stayed like that for a few minutes. Then they parted and Steve rubbed his nose against Danny’s. “I want you to have this.” He reached to his neck and pulled out a chain and pulled it over his head. Then he pressed it into Danny’s hand and closed the smaller fingers around it. “Keep these safe until I can reclaim them.”

Danny looked into his hand and then shook his head. “Steve...These are your dog tags. I couldn’t…”

Steve rubbed his thumbs over the tracks that the tears had left behind. “I want you to. As a reminder that I trust you and our love. It’s also a promise that I will never leave you.”

Danny threw himself at Steve and held him tightly. They stayed like that for a long time until they were interrupted by a throat being cleared.

“Time to go, Commander.” Bethany said softly.

Steve sighed and nodded. He kissed Danny one last time. “Listen, I’m going to work on your case and get some answers. You focus on getting better so you can come home.”

Danny nodded, speechless. “I love you.” He whispered. 

The SEAL smiled at him. “I love you too. You can do this. Keep fighting.” One more chaste kiss and Steve reluctantly extracted himself from Danny’s arms. “I’ll visit soon.” Then he turned and walked out the door, forcing himself to not look back. 

By the time he got into his truck, he felt a pain so intense that he was certain that something had crushed his heart into a million pieces. He started the vehicle and headed towards work. He didn’t acknowledge the pain and sobs that poured out as he left the hospital.

~S~

Danny stared at the place that Steve had been at. His heart felt like it was just ripped out of his chest. He felt lost and wasn't sure what to do. The SEAL was a constant presence and now to think that he won't be made him feel hurt and lost.

A hand gently grasped his arm. "Come on, tough guy. Let's get you lying down and rest." Bethany quietly said as she began pulling him towards his room.

He barely noticed them walking to his room until he was being pushed onto the bed. He felt tears once again appear, but he refused to shed them.

"Alright, get some rest and I'll see you this afternoon." Bethany gently squeezed his shoulder in support and left.

Danny stared at the dog tags in his hands until his vision began to blur. The feeling of a warm tear hitting his hand finally broke him. He started crying and allowed his body to fall onto the bed limply. He eventually dozed off but he didn't even know when it happened.

~S~

Steve parked his truck in a parking space at Lolanai Palace with a heavy heart. He reigned in his emotions, burying them behind years of SEAL training before making his way up to the 5-0 offices. 

Chin, Kono and Lou were standing at the computer table, looking at something. All three turned when they heard him approach. "Steve? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be looking after our boy?" Lou broke the shocked silence.

Steve sighed and crossed his arms once he got to the table. "As part of the next step in Danny's treatment, I am to have minimum contact with him until further notice. What do you got?" He immediately changed the subject.

No one commented on his explanation. Chin tapped a few buttons, bringing up a picture of a woman. "Meet Gertrude Evans. We picked her up a couple of days ago and interrogated her for 18 hours before she finally gave us something. She is working for Leonardo Francesco. He is the Italian mob boss that Danny and his team took down years ago. We talked to the prosecutor in New Jersey and Leslie Deacon is supposed to testify against him in two months."

The SEAL felt shock ripple through him in sudden realization. "That explains the sudden action on finding her and the kidnappings. Take out the witness and Francesco could walk uncontested." Steve replied. 

"It gets worse. After explaining why we wanted to know, we had to tell her about Danny. She said that she would like Danny to also testify as well. It would give her better leverage against Francesco." Lou added hesitantly.

The SEAL glared at the team. "I don't think that is a good idea. He still has more treatment to get through before he is even released from the psych ward and that is still going to take several months." 

"Steve, listen to me. I know you feel protective of Danny. We all do. But, if Danny testifies, then this guy will never see another trial ever again. Isn't that something Danny would want?" Lou tried to reason.

The brunette sighed as he rubbed his face in frustration. "Fine. I'll talk to his therapist. Do we have any proof that he hired the kidnappers?"

"It took some digging but we did manage to find a money trail." Kono took over. "I must admit that it was cleverly done, but I managed to untangle the encryption and we have a clear path back to Francesco."

Steve nodded, happy to have some good news. "Good work. Gather everything and write our reports and send what we have to the right people, including that prosecutor from Jersey." He headed towards his office, finished with the meeting.

He sat down in his chair and immediately got onto his tablet. He tried ignoring the dark office across from him and tried to focus on his work.

His door opened and Lou came in. He sat down in one of the chairs in front of Steve's desk. "What happened?"

Steve shrugged but didn't look up. "Nothing happened. I just have a lot of work to catch up in."

Lou wasn't fooled by that answer. "Yeah, try again." The SEAL glared at him. "Look, Steve, that explanation would have worked on someone that didn't know you. I can tell something happened at the hospital."

The brunette stared at him for a long moment then sighed. "Bethany, Danny's therapist, believes that Danny has become too dependent on me. She also wants to start working on his triggers from the kidnappings. So, she has decided that I need to stay away for a while."

Lou sighed heavily. "Oh, man. That has to be tough on both of you. How is our boy?"

Steve shook his head. "Not doing so well. He's still in half denial on what he needs and he has depression. Bethany actually decided to up his anti depressant med to try and curb some of his stress." He felt tears welling up, making his vision blurry. "She even mentioned that there is a strong possibility that he won't be able to do this job anymore."

"Oh, man. I'm sorry. I know that you like working with him and that this was his dream. Does Danny know?"

He cleared his throat. "No. We thought it best not to say anything to him yet. I'm hoping maybe he will prove us wrong and come back when he is better. But…" he looked away, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall. "I was encouraged to look at changes that would need to be made at home for him."

Lou nodded. "Don't give up yet. Sounds like things are still uncertain. Now, talk to his therapist about the trial. We'll handle everything else." The big man stood and headed out. "Just so you know, we think what you are doing for Danny is commendable. Not everyone would be able to handle that." Then he left.

Steve leaned his chair back in defeat and let himself have a moment of weakness and allowed the tears to flow. All he could think about is Danny being on meds and being depressed for the rest of his life.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny has to make a choice.
> 
> Y'all are amazing! I love reading your comments. Y'all have such interesting thoughts and ideas. I love it. Keep them coming. On to the next chapter. Enjoy!

The following weeks were a struggle for Danny. Not being able to see Steve every day felt like torture. At least he was able to talk to him every other day, which helped a little. But he still felt lonely. He thought about what Steve had said about finding his fighting spirit, but he just felt so tired that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to find it. More than once he had a melt down from his contradicting thoughts.

Bethany was doing her best to have him feel more independent and be able to cope on his own. He was kept even more busy by starting therapy as soon as breakfast was over to doing some kind of art right before bed. But at the end of the day, he felt lost. He would lie in bed for hours holding the dog tags close to his chest. Sometimes he would cry and other times he would feel anger surge into his chest.

His option of having sleeping pills were also taken away. He was told it was to help with him learning to sleep on his own, but he suspected it was to make sure he didn't try to hoard them. The temptation to do that with other meds had crossed his mind.

He still got to go out on his field trips every week, which helped lessen the pain for a while. Steve would pick him up with Zeke following along and they would head off for a few hours. They went for walks on the beach, going to Kamekona’s for lunch, he even saw the team on one outing. The best part was that Zeke didn’t have to sedate him at all. He had some anxiety, but they just got up and did something else before it got worse.

Then, in the fifth week, Steve met him in the garden. He was confused since it was only the middle of the week. Bethany was also there. He all but flung himself into the tall brunette's arms even though he saw the SEAL just a couple of days ago. Steve easily caught him and wrapped his arms around him. He finally felt safe and whole once again, like he always did when he was in Steve’s arms. 

Steve hugged him tight for a minute before he let go and gently guided them until they were sitting on a bench across from Bethany. She leaned forward, a serious expression on her face. "Danny, there is something important we need to talk about."

He lifted an eyebrow at her. "Like what?"

She looked at Steve who took a deep breath. "Danny, the team and I have figured out who was behind your kidnapping and the murder of those other cops in Jersey."

He sat a little straighter at that. "Really? Who was it?"

Steve hesitated for a moment. "The Italian mob boss, Leonardo Francesco."

All Danny could do was blink at him in surprise. "Ok...I wasn't expecting that."

But Steve wasn't finished. "New evidence supposedly has appeared. Baby, he goes back on trial in a few weeks. Ms. Deacon is supposed to testify against him. And the prosecutor also wants...you to speak as well."

"What?!" Danny felt like the air was sucked out of his lungs. He couldn’t even testify at the last trial. There was no way he would be allowed to speak at this one. Who had the authority to say otherwise? "Steve, I can't. Since the case is classified, I wasn't allowed to testify on the first trial. There is no way that they will let me now."

"Actually, you can. The original judge that sealed the case has given permission for anyone to testify. Including the officers that were involved in the original investigation." Steve pulled the blonde closer to him. "You can be the voice for all of the cops that were killed."

Danny sat there, unsure of what to say. Bethany chose to speak. "Listen, Danny. If you want to do this, then we will get you prepared and have things set up for your trip. If you don't, then I will give the judge a medical reason that you can't. No one is going to make you do what you don't want to."

He looked at Steve. "Why do they want me to testify?"

Steve gently brushed the back of his fingers to Danny's cheek. "Because, sweetheart, you've survived two kidnappings connected to Francesco. The Prosecutor wants the Judge and Jury to hear how cruel that man is." He pulls Danny closer until his forehead is sitting on the blonde's temple. "You don't have to, but your testimony could help put this man away for life. No more trials or even a chance at parole."

Danny sat and thought about it. He really thought about it and it made him nervous even thinking about going up on the stand. However, the idea of getting justice for his fellow deceased officers was appealing. 

He looked at Bethany. "If I wanted to do this, what would be the plan?"

She smiled gently at him. "We would make it look like you were still here while we moved you to a safe place. We would continue therapy along with preparing your testimony. Then when it is time, a nurse will fly with you to New Jersey for the trial. That nurse will be responsible for your health. Which means sedatives will be at the ready, your meds, as well as helping you get ready for court. I will have my phone on me at all times in case you need me." She stood up at the end. "I'll let you two talk. I'm going to grab some drinks and be back in a few minutes."

She left and Danny stared at the concrete while Steve held his hand. They were quiet for a while, both men deep in their own thoughts.

Finally, Danny took a deep breath. "I'll do it." Steve looked at him in surprise. "As long as you're there." He demanded.

The SEAL wrapped an arm around him and kissed him. "I'll always be here for you, buddy."

Bethany chose that moment to come back. "Do we have a verdict?"

"Yeah, I'll do it." Danny replied quietly. 

"Ok, then I'll get things set up on my end. Steve, I will touch base with you later." 

~S~

Several days later, Danny found himself in a safe house in the middle of nowhere. It was plain and boring, but comfortable. Bethany had rearranged her other patients to someone else temporarily while she was also staying at the safe house.

Chin and Kono were preparing transportation and accommodations for everyone in New Jersey as well as working with the local authorities. Lou was triple checking everything on their end of the case.

Steve was playing bodyguard and organizing HPD officers as they guarded the surrounding area. He had his SEAL face on and wasn't giving anything away. He had contacted the prosecutor in advance and printed out all of the questions and items that may be covered in the trial. 

There wasn't a nurse here. One will be assigned when they flew to Jersey, but until then it was just Bethany.

Currently, Danny was resting on his bed after working through the beginnings of his first kidnapping. It was only two hours but he felt mentally drained and exhausted. Bethany had noticed him beginning to flag and told him to lie down for a little while.

He watched the leaves sway outside of the window from the ocean breeze. As he watched, it slowly lulled him to sleep where a nightmare was waiting.

~S~

It was dark, musty and cold. The cage floor dug painfully into every joint and bone. He curled up as tight as he could, trying to preserve body heat. 

Suddenly, the door flung open and he was grabbed, forced to uncurl and stand. He was dragged out and over to a table where he was lifted up and placed on his back. Wrists and ankles were tied down and his shirt was opened, exposing his torso.

The leader stepped forward and smiled. "Detective, I hope those cuts aren't causing you too much trouble." He said with a faux sense of concern. Danny glanced down his chest, looking at the half healed cuts all over. He got them when he was grabbed and on their way to this warehouse. 

He looked back at the man with a glare. "Drop the act. We know you don't care about those."

The leader gave a smile that sent a chill down the blonde's spine. "I can't seem to fool you. Since you insist on getting down to business, then we will. Where is the witness?" 

He shook his head. "I won't tell you anything."

The man grinned. "I hoped you would say that." He turned around and walked several feet to some kind of equipment. What its purpose was, Danny wasn't sure. The leader came back with manic and glee in his eyes. In his hand he held a long pole that was about three inches in diameter. The end was glowing a reddish white color, indicating it was extremely hot.

Danny tried to move as far away as he possibly could, but the ropes held fast. He felt his heart pounding in his chest as the pole came closer.

"Heat is an amazing source of fear, if you figure out how to use it. It also leaves quite the mark and is extremely painful while it heals." The leader looked back at him. "If you answer my question, then I won't have to use it." He smiled and Danny sensed that he was going to use it for his enjoyment if nothing else.

He swallowed hard, sweat dripping down his temples and neck. The pole was hovering above his side by an inch. He could feel the heat radiating from it. "I think you're going to use it anyways, so why should I answer?" His voice sounded hoarse and strained.

The leader cackled. "Very perceptive. I guess that's why you became a Detective." Then he firmly pressed the heated metal to Danny's skin.

He could hear the skin searing and the smell of burning flesh assaulted him. He screamed as blinding white hot pain shot through his body, making his diaphragm spasm.

"Danny? DANNY!?" A voice followed by a rough shaking intruded on his thoughts. At first he was confused. He couldn't figure out where it was coming from. The shaking intensified and he didn't know what to do.

~S~

His eyes opened, he wasn't sure when they closed, and he sat up. He frantically pulled his shirt up and ran his hand on his side. The pain was gone and he felt the bumpy texture of the healed burn scar. He sighed in relief as he realized that it was a dream...no, a memory.

A hand gripped his shoulder, causing him to cry out in fright and tried to bolt. However, the covers had tangled in his legs and he ended up falling to the floor, pulling the covers with him. He groaned as parts of his body protested.

"Danny, are you ok?" Steve's voice sounded above him. He looked up and saw the brunette's head peering over the edge of the bed.

"Yeah. I think so." Even in reality, his voice sounded hoarse to him. "You scared me."

The SEAL grimaced. "Sorry, you were yelling and screaming. I tried to wake you but…" He trailed off and shrugged.

Danny sighed. "It's ok. Can you help me up?" He tried to kick the covers off, but they were very tangled around him and he couldn't seem to get them off.

"I gotcha, baby." Steve slid over the bed and crouched down. Together, they managed to tug the covers free and Steve tossed them on the bed. Then he carefully helped Danny stand up. 

The smaller man clung to the SEAL as he felt the beginnings of a tremor start to run through his body. He was maneuvered and sat down on the edge while Steve stood beside him. Bethany appeared in front of him at that moment. 

"You sure you're ok, Danny?" She asked, concerned. 

He nodded. "Yeah. Just...had a bad dream." He looked at his hands and clasped them together, trying to calm the shaking.

"Seemed pretty intense. You want to talk about it?" She sat next to him. Steve also sat on the opposite side and wrapped his arm around his waist gently.

Danny gave up on his hands and wrapped his arms around himself. "Not particularly." 

Steve slowly pulled him closer and kissed his sweaty temple, which he suddenly noticed. In fact, his entire body was drenched in sweat. 

"Would you be opposed to a shower right now? The warm water would help you relax." Steve suggested.

Danny slowly nodded after a minute. Bethany smiled. "That's a good idea, Steve. I'll start lunch while you two clean up." Then she hopped up and left.

Steve stood up once the door closed. "Come on, sweetheart." He gently pulled Danny to his feet and then headed to the shower. 

Once there, Steve turned on the shower and helped Danny strip off his clothes. He also undressed and gently pushed Danny into the warm stream. 

They were silent as Steve slowly washed Danny from head to foot, massaging away any tension.

"How come you don't have this problem?" Danny suddenly asked.

Steve paused on a spot he was massaging. He looked up confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm the one with this stupid mental problem, but you were also kidnapped and tortured. You seem perfectly fine." Danny said, aggravated.

Steve sighed and stood up until he was looking at him. "Remember that I am a SEAL. We were trained for these kinds of situations. I know how to compartmentalize everything that is traumatic. You have not been trained in that. Why would you when you are a cop? You shouldn't need to know that kind of training."

Danny sighed as he rubbed his eyes wearily. "I just want everything to be normal."

Steve lifted his face gently and gave a slow kiss. "I know, sweetheart. I want that too, but you have to get through the treatment. You can do it. It won't be easy, but you can."

The blonde nodded before finishing rinsing and getting out. They dressed and headed back downstairs where they found lunch just finishing. They all sat down and ate their meal.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny finally has gotten some sleep and a hidden memory surfaces.
> 
> I know it's long, but hang in there. We're approaching the end. Thank you for the support. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The next day, Danny woke feeling a little better than yesterday. He felt like he got some sleep and slowly got up to get ready for the day.

Steve, of course, was already up. He usually got up at the same time the sun rose, but he was up even earlier since he was in protective mode.

Once dressed, he headed downstairs to find something to eat. Bethany was sitting at the table with a mug of coffee and her computer. She smiled up at him when he came in. 

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" She asked.

Danny shrugged as he made himself some toast. He was allowed to use sharp items as long as Bethany or Steve was in the room. Another precaution due to his depression. "Ok, I guess." He placed the bread in the toaster before turning towards her. "Where's Steve?"

"Outside, talking to one of the officers I think." She said, pointing towards the window. 

Danny moved until he could see out. The SEAL was leaning against the railing of the porch, phone to his ear. His back was towards Danny, but he could see the slight tension in the shoulders. 

He heard the toaster pop and turned away to get his toast. Spreading butter, under Bethany's watchful gaze, and honey before sitting at the table to eat it. 

They sat in silence as he ate. He managed to eat all but a few bites from the two slices. Bethany smiled approvingly before she got up and unlocked a cabinet. Inside were all of Danny's meds, which were counted every day. The blonde didn't know that.

She carefully took out the required pills before giving them to Danny. He swallowed them easily and Bethany checked he got them down before closing the cabinet.

"Ok, today we'll start with the beginning of your testimony. How does that sound?"

"Fine, I guess." 

"Great. Let's go into the living room." She said cheerfully. They moved into the other room and Danny got comfortable in the arm chair. He liked it in the way he could curl himself into it and he just melted into the comfortable cushions.

"Ok, let's start with that first night you were kidnapped." Bethany suggested.

Danny took a deep cleansing breath. "I told Steve that I needed to run by the store for dinner after we got home from work. I got into my car to head there. At a stop light, a van pulls up and stops in front of me. The men held me at gunpoint and forced me into their vehicle. They took me to the warehouse and played a sick game with me while we headed there."

He rubbed his face wearily. He hated reliving that night. A reminder of where everything went wrong.

"Good. Nicely done." She praised. "Now, let's jump forward and talk about the night Steve took you home after explaining the classified case."

Danny shrugged. "Don't remember much. Steve told me that I was tired and done for the day, so he took me home. We had dinner, hung out for a while, then went to bed." It was something he had said many times...and yet, something was different this time. He couldn't explain the feeling of cold fear and dread that suddenly appeared. His chest tightened with anxiety. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Danny? Is there something else?" Bethany asked very softly. It was as if she could sense something was happening.

"I'm not sure." He said slowly as something tickled at the back of his mind.

"Don't force it. Let it come to you. Relax and breathe." She advised.

He closed his eyes and waited.

Danny had no idea how long he sat there and was about to give up when a flash of memory suddenly appeared.

~S~

The sense of unable to sleep. Getting up and deciding to go outside. Danny opened his eyes and he saw the ocean. He could smell the salty air, the cool breeze that soothed his heated skin. The exhaustion of many nights of unable to get true rest.

Then a click sounded behind him. Turning he saw the leader of his kidnappers along with his men and Steve.

The threats and the ride in the van. Being tied to the barn post. Refusing to talk followed by him begging Steve to get them out.

He remembered everything. The cruelty these men could carry out, his fear of the end of his life, the end of Steve's life. Worst of all, his failure to remain strong when he would slowly break under the weight of torture. How close he had been to breaking his promise.

It felt like an eternity and then he blinked. It all faded away.

~S~

He blinked a second time and he was back in the living room in the safe house. Bethany sat across from him, concerned as she bit the end of her pen.

It was then that he noticed the octopus like warm arms wrapped around him. Whispered words of comfort were next to his ear. 

"Steve?"

The words stopped and the SEAL lifted his head so they could see each other. "You with me?"

Danny swallowed a few times, the tightness in his chest still remained. "Yes." He croaked.

Steve sighed in relief. "Good. You had us worried."

"Danny?" Bethany finally spoke. "What happened?"

"I...I remember. The day before I woke up in the hospital the second time." He looked at Steve and the tightness in his chest bubbled up to his throat. He swallowed, trying to push it back down.

Steve kissed him gently on his forehead. "It's ok. You're safe here. Let it go."

Those words seemed like the key to unlocking the doors and the dam broke. Danny cried hard, sobbing into the brunette's chest. He dug his fingers into the fabric of his shirt and held on for dear life. He felt himself finally releasing the bottled up frustration, anger, fear and potential failure. They all came pouring out of him in the form of his tears.

Steve wrapped his long arms around him and held him close. He petted, kissed and gave encouragement. 

Eventually, the tears slowed and Danny turned until he was leaning with his back heavily against Steve. He was shaking and a headache was quickly forming. Any energy he had quickly vanished, leaving him lethargic and struggling to keep his eyes open.

A box of tissues appeared in front of him. He took a couple and cleared his nose. 

"Danny, how are you feeling?" Bethany asked once he fully calmed down.

"Tired and I have a headache." He replied honestly.

"Ok, I'll get you a painkiller. You've done a good job. Why don't you go upstairs and lie down. Take a break and we'll continue this afternoon."

"Ok." Danny whispered. He didn't dare move his head as it pounded painfully with each heartbeat.

"Come on, sweetheart." Steve said quietly as he gently stood up. Danny moaned and refused to move. The SEAL gave a small smile before he gently gathered Danny into his arms and picked him up. Then he carefully carried the smaller man upstairs. 

Steve laid him down, making sure to pull the covers back. Then he pulled them back up, making sure to keep them loose so that Danny didn't feel trapped.

He gave his lover a gentle, loving kiss on his lips. He nuzzled his cheek afterwards. "I love you. Get some rest and I'll check on you in a little bit."

Bethany came in with a plastic cup of water and Tylenol. Danny easily swallowed them before he put his head back down and closed his eyes. He was asleep in minutes.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Steve travel to New Jersey.
> 
> Thank you for the support. Let me know what you think. You guys are amazing. Enjoy!

Steve watched Danny shift in his seat for what felt like the hundredth time. He sighed and looked around the plane.

They were sitting in the economy section heading to Newark. It has been almost a full week since Danny decided to testify and three days since he remembered the second kidnapping.

Bethany gave Danny a large dose of anti anxiety med in order to get through the airport and the flight. Even with it, Danny was still having a hard time remaining calm. It didn’t help that the plane was full which caused the blonde’s claustrophobia to act up.

Their nurse turned out to be Zeke. From what Steve was able to gather, Danny and Zeke had formed a strong friendship. The blonde trusted Zeke quite a bit and he currently sat across the aisle from Steve and Danny.

He heard the pilot over the speaker, announcing their landing approach. He gently grabbed Danny's hand and stroked over the knuckles with his thumb. "Almost there, buddy. It will be ok."

15 minutes later saw them at the gate and making their way towards baggage claim. Zeke stayed with Danny in a corner, working on breathing exercises while Steve collected their bags.

He gathered their luggage and headed over to the rental car desk. He had put one on hold and it took no more than five minutes before he was packing up the car. Then they headed towards their hotel.

Once they were on the road, Danny breathed out a sigh of relief as he wiped sweat off his forehead.

"You did good, sweetheart." Steve said encouragingly.

"Agreed. That was a long, tough flight. Even for me." Zeke piped up from his place in the back seat.

"When is Chin, Kono and Lou getting here?" Danny asked. 

Steve grimaced at the question. "Chin will be arriving tomorrow. Kono and Lou are staying behind to hold down the fort." He gently gripped Danny's thigh. "Nothing is going to happen."

His phone suddenly rang and he pulled it out of his pocket to answer it. "McGarrett."

"Hey, Boss. I'm guessing you all made it?" It was Kono.

"Yeah, heading to our accommodations now. What's up?" He knew she wouldn't call unless it was important.

"The Prosecutor called and said that the witness wanted to speak with our guy." She spoke vaguely. Even though Chin installed the latest security software and Steve was certain no one was able to hear them, they were still being cautious.

"Ok, thanks, Kono. Tell her I'll call her in a little while to discuss it."

"Will do, Boss. Tell the others I said hi." Then she hung up.

Steve put his phone back in his pocket before noticing Danny staring at him.

"Who was that?" The blonde asked. Ever since he agreed to testify, Danny had been on edge.

"It was Kono. She got a call from the Prosecutor. Seems Ms. Deacon has requested to see you." Steve replied with a smile.

"Oh." Was all Danny said before looking back out of the window.

Steve was surprised by the answer, since he figured Danny would be excited to see her. He glanced at Zeke in the rear view mirror. The man shrugged and closely watched Danny but left him alone.

They continued the drive in silence until they reached the hotel. They checked in and Steve made sure to emphasize the importance of no one knowing they were here to the Manager. After, they found the room and settled in. Steve ordered delivery for dinner and checked everything when it arrived before serving.

Later, when Danny was going over his testimony with Zeke, Steve called the Prosecutor who picked up on the third ring.

"Yes, this is Steve McGarrett. Officer Kalakaua said you called earlier."

"Oh, yes, I did. With the trial two days away, Ms. Deacon wanted to see Danny in person. I know this may be inconvenient, but she was insistent.”

Steve chewed his lip as he looked at his partner. Danny wasn’t the same and he hoped that he could live happily once more. “I’ll have someone meet you tomorrow and see if we can work something out. Danny isn’t in the best place right now and the less people know he is here the better.”

“Understood, Commander. Give me a call when you are ready.”

“Will do.” Then he hung up and watched Danny as he held his head in one hand, struggling to stay awake. He laughed and walked over to give a loving kiss. The blonde slowly blinked up at him. “I think it is time for bed. What do you think, Zeke?”

The nurse agreed with a nod of his own as he closed the file that held Danny’s testimony. “Yes, I think going to bed would be wise for all of us.” He stood and stretched. “Why don’t you go clean up and I’ll get your meds ready for you.” 

Danny nodded as he stood up and shuffled into the bathroom and closed the door. A moment later, the shower turned on. Steve sighed as he rubbed his temple. “You think he will be alright?”

“Yeah, I do. He’s a fighter and brave for wanting to do this. He may get beat down a little bit but I think he will come out fine.” Zeke answered honestly as he unlocked the case with meds and recorded the dosage information in Danny’s file. “Try to be patient with him. It is going to be a very difficult few days.”

Steve nodded as he checked his service weapon one more time before moving a chair towards the door. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll guard the door and maybe lie down later. If you hear anything, it’s just me.”

Zeke nodded. “Got it. I’m a pretty heavy sleeper, so, I shouldn’t hear a thing.” He said with a smile.

They had booked a room with two queen size beds. Danny and Steve would be sharing a bed while Zeke took the second bed. Steve wanted to have a separate room for the man, but Zeke refused, reasoning that it would be better if he was in the same room, that way he could help Danny in any way much easier. He would also catch indicators of stress and anxiety much quicker than Steve.

Danny emerged a few minutes later looking even more tired if that was possible. He took his required pills and Steve helped tuck him in. “I’m going to be by the door guarding. I’ll come to bed in a little while. Try to get some sleep. Both Zeke and I are here if you need anything.”

“Ok.” Danny said as he loosely held the dog tags that he refused to take off now. Steve caressed his cheek one last time before heading to the chair where he tried to get comfortable. He made sure the holster strap was undone for quick access before leaning his head back and listened to everything outside the room for any potential danger.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny meets someone special. 
> 
> Sorry for the delay. Life got in the way. Thank you for the support and I hope you enjoy the chapter. Remember to please leave any comments and kudos. :D

Danny was actually enjoying his sleep for once and was loathed to leave it. Then he was being shaken awake by an energetic SEAL.

"Danny, time to wake up." Steve said too cheerfully.

He groaned as he batted the hand away and rolled over, pulling the covers over his head.

Steve laughed. "Come on, sweetheart. We have a lot to do today. First thing is breakfast." He said while pulling the covers off. 

"What time is it?" Danny slurred.

"7:30. Zeke decided to let you sleep in."

The blonde narrowed his eyes. "30 minutes is not sleeping in. This is an unholy hour." He half ranted past a yawn. 

"Up, buddy. Let's go." Steve poked and pushed until Danny relented. He got up and got ready for the day. Once finished, he was dragged to the table by the window in their room to find a small breakfast sitting there. It consisted of eggs, toast, bacon and fruit. He was disappointed to see no coffee.

Zeke smiled and gave a small laugh at his face. "Sorry, Detective, but Doctor's orders. No caffeine, including coffee, is allowed until we get home. Your anxiety is bad enough without a stimulant. Some nice juice will be better."

Danny sighed, but he sat and ate his meal without complaint. After all, Zeke was only doing his job.

Steve pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards. "Danny, today we are visiting someone important and they really want to see you."

He gave Steve a confused look. "I thought the point was no one knows I'm here. So, who would want to see me?"

The SEAL gave a huge smile. "It's a surprise. One I think you will like."

Danny shook his head but a small smile ghosted his lips. "You're a goof."

Once Danny finished, Steve got a text from Chin informing him that all was in order for them to meet up. Chin had landed into New Jersey early this morning and Steve had talked to the prosecutor as soon as he got up that morning. He passed the agreed upon plan to Chin. The Asian man had rented a vehicle that would be secure enough for them to travel in.

Zeke ensured they had everything while Steve checked his firearms. As soon as Danny was dressed, they left the safety of the hotel and into the waiting car to head for a secret location.

~S~

The location turned out to be a small little house not far from the courthouse. Danny was amazed at how inconspicuous it looked. Chain link fence cordoned off the front from the street. A wooden porch looked inviting and the light blue painted siding was beginning to flake but was still appealing. A screen door, which had seen better days, was opening to show a middle aged woman with shoulder length brown hair, pale skin, curvy figure and plump lips. 

"Commander McGarrett I presume." She said with a thick eastern accent.

Steve nodded and held his hand out. "Yes and you must be the Prosecutor." 

"My name is Elaine Stuart." She turned to Danny and smiled. "You must be Detective Williams. Come on in everyone." She waved them in and they all quickly shuffled in to get out of the line of sight. Elaine turned to Zeke and Chin. "I'm sorry, but I don't know yours."

The tall man smiled and shook her hand that she offered. "I don't expect you to, ma'am. My name is Zeke, Danny's nurse."

Chin also shook her hand when she turned to him. “Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly. I work with these two.” He gestured at Steve and Danny.

She nodded. "Good to meet all of you." She focused on Danny again. "Follow me. There is someone anxious to see you." Elaine then headed down the hall.

Danny hesitated, unsure of what he should do. A hand fell on his shoulder and he looked up into Steve's face. "Go on. We'll be nearby. Call if you need us, ok? I promise you will like this." He said with a gentle push.

The blonde sighed and slowly followed until they arrived beside a door in the middle of the house. "Right here, Detective. Go on in when you are ready." She said then walked away, leaving him at the door. 

He chewed his lip nervously before he shakily knocked on the door. A voice called out, letting him know he could enter. He opened the door and was greeted by a woman who was sitting on a bed. She was younger than him, but age lines were beginning to form. Despite the years, he immediately recognized her. Shock ran through his body. "Leslie Deacon?"

She smiled and quickly walked over and hugged him. "Detective Williams. I'm so glad to see you again." She pulled back and gave him a once over. "You're definitely older than the last time I saw you, but otherwise you look the same." She paused and looked into his eyes, her smile faltered. "Although, maybe some ghosts haunt you now."

He sighed but mustered a smile. "Unfortunately, but I'm glad to see you are doing well."

"Thanks to you and your team, I've been thriving. I have my own art studio now. Married and have three kids. Come sit." She dragged him to the bed where they sat next to each other. "How have you been? I was sad to hear what happened to the other officers."

Danny shrugged. "I appreciate that. I've been ok, I guess. I got divorced five years ago and moved to Hawaii. I...work for the Governor's task force. I guess overall, life hasn't been too bad." He paused for a moment when he wondered if he was still considered part of 5-0. He purposefully left out the recent trauma. He didn't want her to feel bad about that.

However, by the look on her face, he failed to hide it. Leslie reached a hand to his forearm in a comforting gesture. "But something has happened. Your eyes are sad, haunted. Not the bright determination that I saw all those years ago." She said quietly.

He sighed and gently grasped her hand. "Yes, you are observant. Nothing for you to worry about."

"You know, I never thanked your or your team for helping me. It all happened so fast that by the end, I had no way to show my gratitude. I make sure to help raise awareness and money for the law enforcement at home. I want to be sure that they feel how thankful I am for their work. After all, it was the only way to thank all of you."

Danny smiled. "That's very kind of you, but we were only doing our job." 

Leslie shook her head. "No, you went above and beyond." 

The blonde smiled and ignored the burning in his tired eyes. A chill ran through him and he couldn't stop the shiver it caused. Leslie frowned as she seemed to realize how cold his skin felt. "You're freezing. Here." She got up and pulled a blanket out of a drawer. She unfolded it and wrapped it around his shoulders. 

She sat back down and a look of uncertainty crossed her features. "What is it?" Danny asked gently.

She took a deep breath. "Forgive me, but I must say that you look tired. Not just physically but soul deep."

Danny looked at her and could only see concern in her eyes. He almost laughed at the fact that he couldn’t seem to hide anything from her. "That's true. I've been dealing with...a lot lately and haven't gotten much sleep." He rubbed his eyes, hoping the tears wouldn't reveal themselves.

Leslie gently grabbed a shoulder and gently pushed him down on the bed. "Then rest. My oldest son is in high school and has insomnia. I learned a trick to help him sleep. Would you like to hear it?"

Danny shrugged. He really didn't care. She took it as an acquiesce. "Very well. Just listen. Don't think, just listen to my voice. When I was a little girl…" she began.

Danny lay still, listening to her regale stories about her childhood. He wasn't sure when, but his eyes eventually dropped and he fell asleep.

~S~

Danny woke, feeling extremely groggy. It was dark in the room and he knew that hours had passed. And yet, he actually felt better. He slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He saw a bathroom in the corner and he used it, hoping Leslie wouldn't mind. Afterwards, he slowly ventured out of the room.

He could hear talking and laughter down the hall. He walked towards the sounds until he stood in the doorway. Chin was sitting in an armchair, while Leslie and Zeke sat comfortably on the floor in front of a coffee table. Elaine sat on one end of the couch while Steve sat on the other closest to Danny. They were playing a board game and in the corner, more games were stacked.

Leslie was the first to notice him and she smiled. "There you are. We were wondering if you were ever going to wake up."

Steve turned and got up when he saw him. He smoothed a hand over his hair and pecked him on the forehead. "You look better. If your hair is anything to go by." He laughed at the bed head Danny sported.

He still felt tired but at least he no longer felt bone tired. "How long was I asleep?" His voice was rough and thick from the misuse.

The SEAL glanced at his watch. "About eight hours."

Danny felt his eyes widen. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I think it did you good. Are you hungry? We saved a plate of dinner for you." Steve asked but his eyes pleaded with him to eat.

He thought about it and felt his stomach growl. A very loud growl. Everyone laughed at the sound and Steve smiled. "Sit here. I'll heat it up." Then he disappeared into the kitchen.

Danny sat down and found a blanket being offered to him from Leslie. No words were needed and he nodded his thanks to her with a smile. He wrapped himself in it just as Steve returned with a plate, cutlery and a glass of water.

The plate held a steak with green beans and mashed potatoes. Of course, the meat was already sliced since he was still under a suicide watch, but he currently didn't care. It tasted good and he managed to eat more than normal. Only a quarter of the food remained when he felt full. Steve and Zeke shared a happy smile when they saw his nearly empty plate.

"Great. I think we are all ready for court tomorrow. Don't forget to be there an hour early so we can double check everything one more time." Elaine announced.

Steve nodded to her. "We'll be there." He stood, motioning to Chin and the other man headed out. "Come on, Danny. Time to leave."

Danny nodded and he stood, feeling exhaustion hitting him hard even though he had just slept. Leslie smiled and waved. "Good night, Danny. I'm glad we were able to talk. See you tomorrow."

Danny couldn't help but smile at her as Zeke and Steve gently guided him out to the car. 

The ride back was silent, but comfortable. Once they reached their room, Steve helped Danny clean up and bundle him into bed. The blonde was out in seconds.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's court day and the boys try to get the courthouse on time.
> 
> Thank you for the support. Please leave a comment or kudos. Enjoy!

The next day was court day. Danny was up and eating breakfast at 7 am. He complained at the early hour, but ate his food while Zeke took out his allotted pills and did a quick once over of his testimony.

Steve apparently was standing guard and talking with Chin to be sure everything would be fine when they headed to the courthouse.

At 9 o'clock, Danny dressed in one of his nice suits and made sure his hair looked good. When he came out, Zeke and Steve were already dressed in their best clothes.

Then they headed out. Chin was waiting for them at the car and they all climbed in. Chin kept an eye out while Steve drove them to the location. Zeke tapped Danny's shoulder to get his attention. He was holding a small box that had several full syringes inside.

"These are sedatives. Hopefully, we won't have to use them but I wanted you to know that I have them just in case you need one." The big man explained as he locked the case again.

Danny nodded and looked out of the window again.

"How full do you think the room will be?" Chin asked Steve.

The SEAL shrugged. "I'm not sure, but expecting it to be mostly full. This is a huge trial."

Chin was going to reply when the car suddenly jerked sharply. Danny banged his head on the window at the impact. Wincing at the sharp pain, he turned around and saw a truck speeding up to hit them again.

"STEVE!" He yelled.

"I see it. Hold on." Steve made a sharp left turn through a red light. The truck was right behind them. Chin rolled down his window and aimed his gun at the vehicle. He immediately ducked back in when shots rang out. 

"I don't think they are here to chat." The Asian man said as he returned fire.

Danny instinctively pulled Zeke down low. He was shaking and unarmed. He could feel panic stirring in his chest, making the muscles there tight with tension. He felt completely helpless and didn't know what to do.

The car shuddered as they were hit again and Steve struggled to keep them on the road. They were rammed a third time and it forced the car out of control. It felt like a lifetime but was only a few seconds before they crashed into a line of cars.

Chin slowly sat up as Steve turned around, holding his shoulder. "Danny! Zeke! You two alright?"

Zeke groaned as he sat up and Danny shakily pushed himself back in the seat. Danny did a quick mental scan of himself and was relieved to find no broken bones or gashes. He looked to Zeke and the big man gave him a thumbs up, indicating he was alright. "Yeah, we're ok."

"Good because we've got to move." Chin said as he climbed out. Steve followed and muscled the back door open. He helped the two in the back out before they ran to the nearest building. 

"We need to get out of sight." Steve said while they ran. They ducked into the nearest building, which happened to be a teen clothing store. The sound of screeching tires was heard as they passed the door. "Head towards the back." Steve ordered as he stopped to watch the door.

Chin guided Danny and Zeke towards the back, pausing long enough to tell the sales clerk to call the police.

Danny reached the back door first and opened the door. He stepped out and was going to make a right when a meaty arm wrapped around his neck and another around his waist. Panic flared his chest as he struggled to get free in his still weakened state.

"Not so fast, small fry. Time to get rid of you." A deep voice said in his ear and then his breathing was hampered. He clawed at the arm, trying to pull it down.

"Drop him or I'll put a bullet in you." Chin's voice was loud in his ears. He couldn't see him as his vision began to tunnel from lack of oxygen. "Do it!"

"Sorry. Orders are orders." His attacker responded, sounding very far away.

Danny missed the next words spoken but he felt his anger surge through his veins, burning away the panic. He felt consciousness beginning to slip away. He thought about how much progress he has made over the months and he set his jaw. No way was he going down without a fight.

He slammed the heel of his foot into what he hoped was his attacker’s foot. The arm wrapped around his neck loosened slightly and he took the opportunity to slam his own elbow back as hard as he could. His attacker let go and Danny had just enough time to turn and blindly throw a punch. Satisfaction went through him as his knuckles shuddered in a familiar way when he hit something solid.

Then he was falling and arms wrapped gently around him. He felt blessed air enter his starved lungs and he coughed. His throat burned and ached from the constriction.

"Danny, you ok?" That was Zeke's voice floating to him and getting louder. He cracked his eyes open to see the bigger man was holding him off the ground in a crouched position. Concern and worry was etched onto his features.

Danny coughed again and nodded. "Yeah, I'm ok." He looked over and saw Steve zip tying their attacker on the ground before releasing a punch to the man's face. The SEAL got up and rushed over to the pair.

"You two ok?"

Zeke shakily sighed. "Yeah. We are alright. Danny got banged up a little but seems to be ok." The big man glanced at their attacker. “Although, Danny was pretty amazing just now. Took the guy out himself.”

Steve nodded and gently pulled Danny against him. He hugged him tightly and gave Danny a hard kiss that left the blonde breathless. They stayed that way for a few moments before Steve let go and looked at Chin.

"We need to move." He stated.

The older man nodded. "Let's go this way. I think I saw some taxis parked nearby." He said, pointing in the opposite direction that Danny was going to go.

Steve nodded and gently grabbed both Zeke and Danny, forcing them to rise and run with him. They rushed to the end of the alley and onto the main street. The street, that was usually full of people going their different ways, was currently empty.

"There." Chin said pointing at a line of at least ten taxis. They hurried over to it and Steve easily opened it. As in he broke the window so he could reach the unlock button. They were scrambling in when Danny once again felt arms wrap around him. Frustrated, because he was getting tired of being manhandled, he started to defend himself a second time. Then he felt the cold steel of a knife slide across his throat. He instantly froze, holding his breath as the blade bit into his skin.

"Hold it, gentleman. You won't be going to court today." A thick Italian accented voice said behind him. He was surprised to hear that the voice was female and not part of the person of whoever was holding him.

Steve and Chin turned to face their attackers, but kept their weapons pointing down. Zeke stayed where he was, sitting halfway in the car. 

The sound of heels was heard until he could see a woman that was slightly taller than him. She was pale with dark red hair, very thin and was accentuated by the dress she wore that stopped at her knees.

"Now, this is how it will work." Her tone was all business and full of confidence. It was obvious she had done this kind of thing before. Which also meant, she was probably in a higher up position. Danny groaned at the thought.

"My boys and I are going to take this small, handsome thing with us for a few days.” Her fingers caressed his cheek and he tilted his head away as much as the knife would let him. She dropped it after a second. “After that, we will return him to you." She smiled a predatory smile.

Steve glared, fury in his eyes. "If you think I'm going to believe that, you are sadly mistaken." He growled.

She tutted at him. "That's very rude. I am a lady and you should treat me as such."

The SEAL snorted. "Let me know when a lady shows up then."

The woman paused, but Danny could see the angry flush on her cheeks from the insult. "You three leave, otherwise, there will be trouble." She smirked as she pulled out a pistol from her pocket. "Are we going to have a problem?"

"No, ma'am. No problem." Danny was shocked at hearing Zeke speak up and going along with it. He tried to convey the fear he was suddenly feeling through his eyes. Didn't the man know that they were going to kill him? If he was lucky, it would be quick, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't be. The knife bit further in, forcing his head to rest on his captor's shoulder.

"No, don't let them…" his words trailed off when the air was forced out of him from the arm that squeezed his waist, forcing his diaphragm to deflate.

"Shut up." The woman snarled, turning to him. "Or you will die here and now."

"Look, at least let me say goodbye." Steve pleaded. The woman looked back and thought for a moment, her lips pursed. Then she shrugged.

"Fine, but you leave your weapons on the ground." She demanded.

"Ok. I'll drop them." He said sadly. He slowly dropped his gun and knife. He held up his hands, showing he was disarmed. "May I approach?"

She nodded. "Yes, but be quick."

Steve walked over slowly, hands outstretched. Danny felt tears fill his eyes. 'This can't be it? Steve wouldn't just let this happen.' Danny thought in despair. 'After everything, this can't happen.' He closed his eyes. He didn't want to see anything else.

Lips suddenly appeared on his. Soft and hesitant. Then, he heard Steve's voice, so close to his ear that he could feel his lips brushing across the shell. "When I tell you, drop to the ground." That was all of the instructions he got as he sensed Steve move away..

"Alright, that's enough. Let's go boys." The woman commanded.

"I agree. This is enough." Steve responded. Danny opened his eyes, watching Steve to see what the SEAL was going to do.

In a move so swift, no one could react for two heartbeats, Steve reached and broke the man's hand holding the knife. The man howled as he dropped the blade.

"Now, Danny." Steve ordered. The blonde immediately elbowed the man behind him and then let himself drop completely to the ground.

He watched as Zeke appeared and jabbed a needle into the woman's arm, emptying its contents. Meanwhile, Chin shot the other men before they could do much. Now Danny could see that there were six of them in total. No wonder they played along. They were terribly outnumbered.

Zeke guided the woman to the ground as she swayed on her feet. Steve took out another man that Chin wasn't able to shoot.

The battle lasted maybe 20 seconds, but it felt like it took much longer in Danny’s opinion..

Once it was over, Steve helped Danny up and into the taxi. "Everyone in. Let's go." They quickly loaded up and Steve took off, burning rubber in his wake.

Danny sighed, feeling the exhaustion setting in now that the adrenalin was fading. He glanced at Zeke who seemed a little shaken, but ok. "What did you give that woman?"

The man smiled and held up his little black case. "A nice dose of sedative. She'll wake up in about eight hours."

"Nice work." Chin said approvingly to the big man.

"Hey, can you look at Danny's neck? I thought I saw some blood." Steve said from the driver's seat. 

Zeke nodded and gently moved Danny's head with shaking hands until he could see the cut. He grabbed an alcohol swab and cleaned the area. Danny hissed at the sting.

"It looks shallow. Some gauze and tape should be plenty for dressing the wound." The big man said as he dug out the first aid kit and pulled out the items. 

Steve was concentrating on driving. He sped through lights and made sharp turns. Meanwhile, Chin was looking everywhere, making sure no other attack would occur.

Amazingly, the car was giving a gentle rock and as they continued on, Danny found himself relaxing and fell asleep from exhaustion.

~S~

"Danny, time to wake up." Steve's voice drifted to him along with a gentle shake to his shoulder. 

He groaned as he slowly woke and blinked his eyes open. He realized he was lying down on something soft and he was no longer in the taxi. He had been moved to a room that he wasn't familiar with. 

He noticed some couches and chairs across from him along with a small table on another wall. He saw Chin and Zeke nearby and some food was sitting on the table. Steve was kneeling next to him, carefully stroking his hand as he woke. 

Danny slowly sat up, feeling the stiffness of his neck along with the soreness of his body. "Where are we?" He asked, his voice was hoarse and sounded more like a croak. He looked down and saw he had been lying on a couch.

"We're at the courthouse in a hidden room. We couldn't wake you so I carried you in." Steve answered. "You've been asleep for about four hours. Elaine will be by in a few minutes to catch us up on the trial and help get you presentable."

Danny looked down at himself and saw how dirty and torn his clothes have become. He sighed and raked his fingers through his tangled hair. "Great. I look awful."

"Don't worry, someone was sent to get you some new clothes. Someone that no one would notice and they don't know who it is for." Steve gave a small kiss to his temple before standing, pulling Danny up with him. "Come on, you need to eat and Zeke said it is way past time for your meds." He dragged Danny to the table where he gently pushed him into a seat.

Steve grabbed a plate and filled it with a sandwich, veggies, and chips. He happily placed it in front of his parnter. "There you go, buddy."

Danny gave a small smile and started munching on the food. Zeke came over and checked the bandage on the blonde's neck. After a minute, the big man sat back. "Your injury looks good. How are you feeling? Any soreness?"

"A little, but it's fine." Danny said as he finished off his sandwich. 

Before Zeke could reply, the door opened and Elaine walked in with Leslie right behind her. The door closed behind them.

"Oh my goodness, you guys ok?" Leslie gasped as she took in everyone's appearance. Her eyes landed on Danny and then ran over to him. She immediately hugged as tightly as she could, tears cascading down her face.

"We're fine. A little bruised, but we're ok." Steve said calmly as he took a couple of steps back to give them room, but not too far.

Danny hugged Leslie and gently rubbed her back in a comforting gesture. “Hey, I’m ok. Everything is fine.” He tried to comfort her.

She finally stood up and wiped her face, trying to rid her tears. “Sorry, I was just concerned you wouldn’t make it. Elaine told me all of you were delayed.”

“Just a bit. But we are here, alive and well.” He forced a smile on his face, even though he wasn’t feeling it.

She smiled back at him and squeezed his shoulder gently. “I’m glad.”

A knock was heard before the door opened. A security guard stood there holding three bags. “I was told to deliver these here.”

Chin went over and took them from the guard. “Thanks, brah.” The guard nodded and then left, closing the door behind him.

Steve went over and took the bags from Chin before he headed to the other side of the room. He opened a door that blended into the wall and placed the bags inside. “Your new clothes, Danno.”

Danny nodded as Zeke handed him his medication. He easily swallowed them without looking at them.

“Ok, Elaine. Where are we in the trial?” Steve asked as he walked back over to the table.

The Prosecutor cleared her throat. “So, the Defence has gone through their witnesses and given their case. Leslie has just finished her story when I asked for a break to come check on all of you. The Judge has given an hour recess, which we have,” She glanced at her watch. “About 50 minutes left.” She looked at Danny. “Your statement will be first on the agenda when the trial resumes.”

Danny sighed and nodded. “Yeah, ok.” He could feel the nervousness and anxiety started to amp up.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to find Steve next to him. “Come on, buddy. I’ll help you clean up.” The ex-SEAL said as he gently pulled him up. Steve guided Danny to the room that the bags were placed in and closed the door.

It turned out to be a small bathroom. It was simplistic but sleek. There was a floor length mirror, a toilet, sink and a glassed wall shower. The bags were sitting just to the left of the door.

“So, I was told that everything you might need is stocked.” Steve said quietly. “Go shower and I’ll lay everything out for you, ok?”

Danny bit his bottom lip nervously before nodding. “Yeah, ok.”

“Hey,” Steve gently drew him close, giving him a hug. “Everything is going to be fine. No reason to feel nervous.” 

After a few beats, Danny sighed, but nodded. “Yeah, ok.” He reluctantly pulled away and walked to the shower. He stripped off his ruined clothes and hopped in to get clean.

By the time he felt like he was clean enough, Steve had hung up his new clothes. Black pants, dark blue shirt, matching tie, socks and shoes. Danny dried himself off and tried to wrangle his hair into submission. He was annoyed that there were no hair products, so he just had to hope his hair wasn’t too crazy as it dried.

Soon enough, he was presentable for court once again. They stepped out and Elaine smiled. “You look perfect, Detective.” She looked at her watch. “It’s time to head back. We got 15 minutes before recess is over.”

Danny wrung his hands nervously, feeling the first set of tremors running through his body. He frustratedly clenched his hands into fists and thrusted them into his pockets.

Steve suddenly appeared in his line of sight. “Hey, you are going to be fine, ok? Chin and I are going to be in the back of the room. If anything happens, we’ll be there. Just focus on Elaine and it will be over before you know it.”

He stared at Steve for a long time, then nodded. The brunette lifted his face a little and gave him a chaste kiss. Then he was released and he slowly followed Elaine out the door with security right behind.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the trial begin.
> 
> Sorry for the late update. We're coming to the end of the story; only a few more chapters. Thank you for the support. I have multiple stories in the works and not sure which one will be next. If you have any suggestions or prompts that you want to see in a story, let me know. Please leave a comment and/or kudos. Enjoy!

The courtroom was mostly full. Row after row of seats was filled with the overflow of people standing in the back. Steve and Chin found places in the back with a clear path to the front if necessary. Zeke was seated behind the Prosecution table. Since he was Danny’s nurse and there to look after the blonde’s health, he was given a special seat.

Danny sat between Leslie and Elaine. His anxiety had gone through the roof since he sat down at the table. He had asked if he could get more meds to help calm him down, but Zeke said he couldn’t take any more since he had already given him the max amount that was deemed safe. Cold sweat rolled down his back and he licked his upper lip to rid the moisture that had formed there. He bounced his knee to hide the tremble that appeared throughout his entire body. He felt hot and cold at the same time and he felt his chest start to tighten.

A hand suddenly gripped his under the table and Danny jumped. He realized it was Leslie’s hand. “Hey, it’s ok. It will be over before you know it. As soon as you tell your testimony, we can leave.” She smiled gently at him.

He nodded, but didn’t trust himself to speak. He glanced behind him to Zeke and then to Steve, reassured that the tall SEAL was watching over him.

To his right was the Defendant’s table. Francesco was sitting with his lawyer, immaculatly groomed and sitting perfectly calm. He had light brown hair with grey covering most of the strands. He looked a tad overweight, with thick hands and forearms. He had pale skin, dark blue eyes and a permanent smirk on his face. He practically oozed confidence. Danny looked away, trying to tell himself to not look back over there no matter what.

“All rise for the honorable judge.” The Bailiff called, drawing Danny’s attention. He stood with everyone else, a little unsteady. Leslie subtly steadied him with a hand on his elbow.

The Judge came in. He was in his upper 50s, olive skin, salt pepper hair, and lanky. He sat down in his chair and the Bailiff told everyone to have a seat.

“Is the Prosecution ready to continue presenting their case?”

Elaine stood up, shoulders back with confidence. “Yes, Your Honor. I would like to call one of the original Detectives from the case. Detective Williams, will you please take the stand?”

Danny took a shaky breath and carefully made his way to the witness stand. He was sworn in before he sat down. He clasped his hands tightly together, telling himself to breathe slowly.

Elaine walked forward, giving him a small smile. “Can you please state your name and rank for the record, please.”

He swallowed and licked his lips nervously. This was ridiculous, he has given testimony a several hundred times with other cases. He was a professional. “My name is Detective Sergeant Daniel J. Williams of the Honolulu Governor’s Task Force.”

She nodded once and stopped right in front of him. “Thank you. Now, Detective Williams, were you part of the original investigation of Mr. Francesco?”

He licked his lips again and then nodded. “Yes, I was.”

“Detective, please give the court a run down of that investigation.”

He swallowed and sat a little straighter. He purposefully didn’t look at the Defence table, knowing that would be a mistake. Instead, he searched for Steve and kept his eyes directed on his partner. “Of course. We got a call from a confidential informant about a large shipment of weapons and drugs coming in. We sent in a Detective undercover to infiltrate and find the ring leaders. After 8 months, she discovered Francesco was the leader and after murdering four people, we arrested him.”

Elaine stepped up next to him and leaned against the stand. “What about Ms. Deacon?”

“She witnessed the four murders at a nail salon that we suspected as a front. The Undercover Detective managed to smuggle her out and brought her to the rest of my team.”

“Objection, Your Honor, this has nothing to do with today's trial.” The Defence interrupted.

Elaine was ready and quickly acted. “Your Honor, this helps understand what happened leading up to today’s court.”

The Judge thought for a moment and then nodded. “Overruled. Proceed, Mrs. Stuart, but get to the point.”

“Thank you.” She turned back to Danny. ”Detective, let's fast forward to a few months ago. I understand that you were kidnapped because of the information you held about Ms. Deacon’s identity and whereabouts. Is this correct?” 

“Yes, it is.”

Elaine stood close to him again and tried to give him a reassuring smile. “Would you tell the court the lengths that your kidnappers went through to gain such information?”

Danny tried to swallow and discovered he couldn’t. Panic began to swell in his stomach and his already tight chest got tighter. He looked at Zeke and the big man was gesturing for him to breathe. He followed the gestures for a few moments and felt his airway open more.

Finally, he was able to start telling his experience with his kidnappers. As his story progressed, he could see out of the corner of his eye how disgusted the jurors were as he described some of the torture. 

He got to the part where they were preparing him for the sensory deprivation when he felt his world shift. It was a weird sensation where he felt like he lost his balance for one second and then regained it. He blinked and looked up from where he had been staring at his hands. He was no longer in the courtroom, but in that old dusty wearhouse. His kidnappers surrounded him, sneering faces close to his as they looked at him where he was strapped in that chair.

The leader was in front and thanks to preparing for the trial, he now had a face and a name. Niccolaio Lazzero had a cold gleam in his green eyes, his shaggy blonde hair hanging over his face a very menacing way as he made a gesture to one of his lackeys. 

Danny quickly discovered that he was gagged already and one of them was approaching with a blind fold. He wanted to run, but he felt weak, unable to move an inch. His breath came out in gasps through his nose and he felt his vision blur from hyperventilation. He wanted to scream, cry, beg for it to end. He tried to speak around the gag, but not a sound was made.

A hand landed on his shoulder and shook him hard. He gasped in surprise to find Steve crouching in front of him, worry written plainly in his eyes. He was speaking, but Danny couldn’t hear anything. He felt he was underwater, where noise was muffled to silence and he couldn’t seem to get enough air. He was shaking, but he couldn’t move. He felt completely paralyzed.

He did manage to move his eyes around and noted that he was now lying down. He was curled up into a fetal position, arms locked around his knees. He couldn’t tell if he was still in the courtroom or not. But then he made eye contact with Francesco.

Danny tried to scream or cry. No tears came and no sound left him. He shook harder, wanting it all to end. 

His eyes sluggishly moved until they met Steve’s eyes again. He tried to convey his helplessness through his own eyes. Begging to go home. 

Danny realized he had been a fool. He should have never agreed to this. Never come here. He couldn’t do this after all. He was weak, no longer brave or strong like he used to be. He was pathetic and didn’t deserve the help that he has now. 

He felt a hand on his arm and a sharp sting in his forearm. It was removed just as quickly as it had appeared. A minute later, he felt his eyelids get heavy and he felt sleep tugging at him. He welcomed it with open arms.

~S~

Steve sighed brokenly when Danny finally fell limp and his eyes closed. Slowly his breathing evened out. The brunette looked around and noticed the Judge was standing in his seat, eyes wide at what everyone had witnessed.

Zeke finished closing the black case with the sedatives and checked Danny’s vitals. After a minute, he looked at Steve. “His vitals are stabilizing. He will be ok. Just needs to sleep the sedative off.”

The nurse tried to be reassuring, but both men knew that what had just happened hurt Danny’s mental progress tremendously. They wouldn’t know how badly until the blonde woke up and Zeke could do an assessment.

“Mrs. Stuart, what happened?” The Judge asked loudly.

Steve glanced at Elaine and she patted his shoulder. “Let me handle this.” She said. Standing she stepped up to the Judge so only the people closest to them could hear. “Your Honor, Detective Williams has been getting psychological treatment due to his kidnapping not only once but twice in the last several months. He is still healing, but he wanted to represent his team that was involved with this case.”

The Judge nodded grimly. “That’s admirable, but why not bring the other cops forward?”

“Because, Your Honor, the others are dead. They were reported missing for several months before their bodies were found. Detective Williams is the only one remaining. He wanted to testify for all of them.”

The old man nodded as he thought over this new information. “Was there more to his testimony?”

“Yes, Your Honor. He still had the second kidnapping.”

The Judge sighed and shook his head. “If it didn’t sound so appalling, I would have thought it was made up. However, based on the Detective’s reactions, it’s clear that he has been horribly affected.” He thought for a moment. “Is there anyone else who could finish for him?”

Elaine gestured toward Steve, who was slowly running his hand over Danny’s hair in a soothing gesture. “Commander McGarrett here was involved in the second kidnapping and I have a signed letter from Detective Williams’s Doctor back in Hawaii about his testimony.”

The Judge nodded. “Bring it here and then we will take an hour recess. I would like to hear from the Commander and read this letter.” He turned to the small group next to the witness stand. “Take the Detective out and let him rest. I think we have heard enough from him.”

Steve nodded then gestured to Zeke and Chin. Chin grabbed one arm while Steve grabbed the other. Zeke helped them stand before moving ahead to open the doors. Elaine and Leslie close behind them. 

A couple of security guards escorted them back into the room they were previously in. They lowered Danny onto the couch and Zeke quickly raised his legs over the armrest. “To help normalize his blood pressure.” He explained when he saw Steve’s confused expression.

Steve finally spoke the burning question. “Zeke, what happened?”

The big man shrugged while he checked the blonde’s vitals again. Satisfied he straightened. “Honestly, I don’t know. My only guess was he was thrown into a flashback near the end. But I’m not a doctor.” He grabbed his bag and pulled his tablet out. “Let me call, Doctor Bethany.” 

A few strokes and a few seconds later, Bethany was on the screen. She looked a little harried but a look of concern was shown. “Zeke, how goes the trial?’

The man sighed and shook his head. “Not well, Doc. We were attacked on our way to court this morning. Then Danny must have had a flashback in the middle of his testimony. He wasn’t reacting to anything I tried and ended up having to give him a sedative.”

Bethany sighed and rubbed her forehead. “That’s terrible news. How badly did this affect him do you think?”

“I’m not sure. I won’t have a guess until he wakes up. He was showing signs of a full panic attack, confusion and possibly a disconnect to reality.”

She nodded and shook her head sadly. “Very well. I’ll add some notes to his file. Zeke, in your opinion, can he continue his testimony?”

“No, ma’am. I think he wouldn’t be able to handle it at this point.”

“Ok. Then if you can, take him back to the hotel and let him rest. I will send over some things you can work on with him when he wakes up.” Bethany ordered.

“Yes, ma’am.” Zeke ended the call.

“The Judge wants to hear from you, Commander.” Elaine spoke up.

Steve sighed and nodded. “Right. Chin, you stay here with Zeke and Danny. I’ll go say what they want to know. Once I’m done, we’ll head back to the hotel.” He turned to the Prosecutor. “If we aren’t needed after today, then I’m going to get us on a plane back to Hawaii as soon as possible. Danny needs to be home after today.”

Elaine nodded. “I understand. Let’s go.” The three left while Chin gathered their things and Zeke stayed close to Danny to keep an eye on him while he slept.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny wakes up and has some dinner. The group heads back home.
> 
> Thank you, guys. Y'all are rock stars. Can't wait to see your comments. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Danny groaned in annoyance as the familiar sensation of waking up after being sedated entered his consciousness. He always hated the waking up part because his body felt heavy, his head was foggy and opening his eyes was always a struggle.

He was currently lying on his back and he slowly rolled over with a groan, burying his face with the pillow his head rested on.

A hand gently rubbed his back while another gently combed through his hair. “Hey, sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

Danny grunted before clearing his throat. “Groggy. What happened?’ His brain refused to come online so he couldn’t figure out why he had to be sedated.

“You were giving your testimony and then you were thrown into a flashback. We couldn’t get you out of it, so Zeke had to sedate you.” Steve’s quiet voice was soothing and Danny felt himself sinking further into the covers. “You’ve been asleep for six hours. You need to eat and take your meds.” The SEAL said as he pushed the covers off the blonde.

“Let me sleep. I’m still tired.” Danny grumbled. Steve just laughed and poked and prodded until he finally allowed himself to be pulled up and guided to the chair that sat in front of the small desk, A take out container sat in front of him which held a small steak, mashed potatoes and green beans.

He had taken several bites before he realized that he was back at their hotel room. He looked at Steve, confused. “How did we get back here?”

“We drove here.” Steve said with a mischievous grin. Then he sobered. “I carried you to the car after we were no longer needed at court. We got here about four hours.” Steve brushed some hair out of Danny’s face and gave him a gentle kiss. “You ok?” 

Danny sighed and couldn’t help but lean against Steve’s strong body. He couldn’t help himself but enjoy the warmth and comfort that he felt. He could feel the tension melt away as he let himself relax for the first time in a long time.

“Danny, you need to eat, buddy.” Steve gently pushed him up until he was sitting upright again. The blonde sighed but continued eating.

The brunette sat in the chair across from Danny and opened a water bottle that was on the table. A minute of silence passed between them.

“Where’s Zeke?” Danny asked, realizing he didn’t see the big man in the room.

Steve pointed to the door. “He’s standing just outside talking on the phone. Don’t worry, Chin is with him. He’ll come back in just a minute.”

Danny nodded. He finished eating, leaving about half in the container. The door opened and Zeke and Chin walked in, the latter making sure to lock the door. The nurse saw the two and the table and smiled. “Hey, I'm glad you are awake. And you had dinner. Very good.” The man smiled as he made his way over to his bag to retrieve Danny’s medical file and medication. He quickly handed out the pills and recorded the information.

He put everything away and grabbed the third chair that was in the room, setting it next to the table. “Ok, Danny. Dr. Bethany wants me to walk you through an assessment,” he held up his hands to stop the blonde from objecting. “It’s just to see where you are. Ok, nothing for you to stress about.”

Danny looked at Steve, gnawing at his bottom lip nervously. The SEAL merely shrugged while leaning back into a relaxed position. The blonde sighed. “Ok, fine.”

Zeke smiled. “Great. This should only take 20 minutes and then you can go back to bed.”

~S~

The next afternoon, Danny finds himself sandwiched on a plane bound for Oahu. This time, Danny found himself between both Steve and Zeke, which he was not happy about. Chin was in a seat several rows behind them.

“Um, Steve?” He waited for the SEAL to look at him. “Do you remember our talk about me and my...um...issues with small spaces?”

Steve nodded with a raised brow. “Yes, Danny, I remember that conversation very well. What about it?’

“Well, I’ll tell you. The current seating arrangement ties in with that discussion.” Danny said while gesturing to the three of them.

“Danno, are you trying to tell that your claustrophobia is acting up?”

“Oh, look at that. We have a winner. Give the man a prize.”

Steve stared at him for a few moments. “You know, you’re not as funny as you might think.”

Danny’s eyes turn into slits as he glares at him. “Do you really want to poke fun at me right now? This is not going to help me relax right now. Not to mention this entire flight.”

The brunette rolled his eyes and threw up his hands in surrender. “Ok, Daniel, where would you like to sit then?”

“The window, you schmuck.” 

Steve stared at the blonde in surprise and...giddiness. This was the first time Danny acted more like himself before everything that has happened. He looked at Zeke who had been watching the exchange silently. “Well, you heard him. Let’s put him at the window.”

A minute and some shuffling later, Danny was next to the window with Steve next to him and Zeke on the outside. The blonde sighed and raked his fingers through his hair in an attempt to calm his nerves. 

45 minutes later, the plane was in the air and on its way to Hawaii. Danny was still sweating and twitching. He felt frustrated because he couldn’t seem to calm his nerves despite trying to control his movements.

Steve silently watched Danny and gently wrapped an arm around him. Normally, he would give the blonde space, but with no where to go, he figured comfort was a better option. 

Danny leaned his head on his shoulder as he tried to work on a breathing exercise. He felt a little sick and he felt way too hot.

The brunette sighed as he tried to control his emotions. He felt helpless and didn’t know how to help his love. He wished there was someone he could hunt down and fight. Eliminate the threat either by shooting or blowing up. But this was a mental battle and one that Steve could not fix. It was Danny’s fight.

Zeke’s deep voice suddenly sounded next to him, drawing him out of his thoughts. The big man was speaking quietly to a stewardess. After a few seconds, she nodded and left.

“What’s up?” Steve asked. Zeke shook his head and remained silent. A few minutes later, the stewardess returns with a cup of tea. 

“Danny, try to drink some tea. Should help calm you down.” The blonde looked away from the window and took the offered drink.

“Thanks.” He mutters as he sips it. Steve watched him, but remained silent.

“Do you want a sleeping pill? It might help the flight go by faster.” Zeke asked. After a minute, Danny agreed and he downed the pill that was handed over.

30 minutes later, Steve gently held Danny against his shoulder. His breathing was deep and slow, indicating sleep. He turned to Zeke, gratefulness shown in his eyes. “Thank you.”

Zeke slumped down further into his seat, completely relaxed. “Don’t mention it. That should let him escape from all of this stress for a while. I think he had enough of that recently.”

Steve sighed, also relaxing a little. “You wanted to give him a break.” 

“Yeah.” A beat passes between them. “Bethany is concerned for his mental health.”

Steve turned to look at the other man in surprise. “Why’s that?”

Zeke took a deep breath before turning slightly in his seat so he could look at him better. “You didn’t hear this from me, but after what happened in the courtroom, she wanted me to do that assessment. After looking it over, she said that the result was that when it comes to high pressure stress, mentally, Danny can’t handle it anymore.”

“So, what are you saying?” Steve felt dread building in the pit of his gut.

Zeke sighed. “She doesn’t think he will recover enough to be in the active field ever again.”

At first, Steve didn’t know how to react when he heard that. Then the metaphorical knife that had been sitting in his heart was suddenly pushed then ripped completely out. Grief swept through him like a tsunami crashing onto shore.

Tears began to flow and Steve couldn’t help a couple of sobs that snuck out before he pulled them back. His greatest fear finally blossoming into reality and the denial that he had been telling himself for a long time was finally destroyed. Thanks to the kidnappings, Steve lost his partner in the field for good.

After a few minutes, Steve realized that his breakdown might wake Danny. He pulled himself together and checked on him. He was relieved to see that he was still asleep.

“Hey,” Zeke’s warm hand landed gently on his shoulder. “Relax, he’s going to be out for several hours. Nothing will wake him. Now, listen, ok?” He waited to speak until Steve turned back to him. “Just because he may not be in the active field, doesn’t mean he can’t be part of 5-0, just changes will have to be made.”

“I know. It’s just...for several years, Danny has been my partner and my back up. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to have my back as much as I do Danny. He was the first one who wasn’t afraid of me when I returned home. He actually punched me in the face the first day that we met.”

Zeke laughed at that. Steve cleared his throat before continuing. “When we were 2 years into our partnership, I finally admitted my feelings to him. I was so scared on how he would react. I would rather have raided an enemy camp in Korea before I ever admitted my feelings. I was shocked when he admitted that he also felt the same way. So, we dated for a while and then about a year ago, he finally agreed to move out of his old rundown apartment and move in with me. We were so happy and I took that for granted. And then two months after that, Danny didn’t…” Tears fell from his eyes again, remembering the panic and heartbreak when he discovered that Danny had vanished that night.

Zeke squeezed his shoulder out of sympathy. “I can’t imagine how that must have felt, but he’s here. Maybe not exactly the same, but the love you two share is strong and it’s a beautiful thing. Everything is gonna turn out ok.”

Steve nodded but couldn’t stop his tears for the next hour as he thinks about once again all of the changes he is going to have to make.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys have returned home and changes are discussed. Plans for the future are planned.
> 
> Thank you, everyone. Can't wait to read your thoughts. Y'all are amazing! :D Enjoy!

It has been two days since the four have returned to Hawaii. As soon as they had landed, Danny found himself back at the psych ward where he barely put up a fight about being there. Bethany made the observation that the events and stress that they ran into in Newark may have contributed to this new attitude of acceptance.

Steve went back to work after three days working with Bethany and Danny. He still missed having Danny right next to him where he belongs while tracking down leads. He walked into the office that Friday, hoping to get a lot of work done before he spent the weekend at the hospital.

He talked to Bethany the day before and she confirmed what Zeke told him. Danny would not be able to handle high stress situations any more. She explained that his limit had been crossed too many times for him to recover completely. So, Steve talked to the Governor that same day to see what the alternatives were. After a long meeting, they came up with a plan. Which brings him to today.

Kono, Chin and Lou were at the tech table when he came in.

“Howz it, Boss?” Kono asked when she saw him. She gave him a hug that he gratefully returned. 

“Thanks, Kono.”

The other two either shake his hand or pat him on the shoulder. “What brings you in, McGarrett? Don’t you have our boy to look after?” Lou asked quizzically. 

“Uh, Danny is going through some intense treatment today. So, I’m here to get some work done before the end of the day.”

“Oh, yeah? What kind of work?” Chin asked as he cleared the tech table.

“Well, if you want to help, I am going to alter Danny’s office so it’s a bit more comfortable for him. I also need to figure out a place to build a room that would be considered a place that he can calm down if he needs it.”

“You mean like a safe place?” Kono asked.

Steve smiled. “Exactly. I was already considering that for scared victims. So, two birds with one stone.”

“I like it.” Chin agreed.

“We could put a small fridge in there with drinks and some snacks. Stock some toys for kids.” Kono added.

Lou then jumped in. “A couch or a bed could be in there. Make it comfortable.”

Steve smiled. “Something like that. Glad all of you are on board. Why don’t you guys figure out the safe room, as Kono called it, and I’ll start in Danno’s office.” When they agreed, he went into the blonde’s office. The office that has been untouched for far too long.

For a minute, Steve stood in the center, looking at the place. The neat pile of files waiting to be filed, the unfinished case reports, pictures of Grace and Charlie, and the dust that had collected over time.

“Ok, what’s on your mind, brotha?” Lou’s deep voice interrupted his thoughts.

Steve turned to him, trying to keep the tears at bay. “I’m thinking about everything that is going to have to change for Danny to function. I’m thinking about the fact that my closest partner isn’t going to have my back when I’m in the field or join in on raids. He will pretty much be sidelined most likely for the rest of his life.”

Lou nodded. “That may be true. But Danny is still tough. He’s still here with us and the fact that he will still be a part of 5-0 after everything he has been through is a huge victory. He may not be in the field, but he will still have your back, just in a different way. Who knows? We may even close cases faster now.”

Steve laughed leaned against the dark, red wooden desk. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

The other man smiled. “Come on, let’s get this office more comfortable for our boy.”

The SEAL smiled and nodded as the two went to work on figuring out how to make Danny’s office more accomodating.

~S~

It was very late when they finished and Steve was afraid Bethany would have his head if he tried to go into the hospital. So, he headed home, showered and fell asleep in his lonely bed. He hated sleeping at home and he mostly laid there wide awake.

As soon as the sun began to rise, he got up, changed into his board shorts, and went out back for his morning swim. The ocean felt amazing and he could immediately feel the stress release as he focused on one stroke after another.

When he returned, he quickly dried off, threw his sneakers on and went for a quick run. Normally he would do 6 miles, but he was in a hurry so he decided on 3 miles. 

While he ran, he thought about how to change the house to accomodate Danny. Majority of the place he was going to leave untouched to keep it feel more normal. Really all he needed to do was add a safe place room somewhere or a place Danny could call his own. He could split the office and build a wall in the middle so it could create another room. It would be quiet if the kids or company was over and Danny could make it the way he wanted it.

Steve liked this idea, but he will have to ask Danny for his opinion.

He finished his run and he threw his smoothie together. He gulped it down and then quickly got ready for the day. He wasn’t sure if he would be staying the night at the hospital, so he made a small overnight bag that he will keep in the car until he would need it.

The drive to the hospital was relatively short for a Saturday morning, but he didn’t complain too much. He found a close parking spot and made his way up to the psych ward. He was glad that Danny’s room was the same and the staff didn’t let anyone move in while they had been in Newark.

He walked through the door just as Bethany appeared at the reception desk. She smiled as he approached. “Good morning, Commander. I expected to see you last night.”

“Yeah, didn’t get done with work until almost midnight.” He said sheepishly.

She laughed and nodded. “I see. Well, then it was a good thing that Danny was exhausted after therapy yesterday.”

“How did it go?” He was nervous how Danny handled the session.

“I’ll be honest. It was very tough for him. Getting him desensitized to sounds and physical touch was hard. The sensation of water being poured over him was not easy at all. We’ll need more sessions to get past that.”

“You also mentioned the sound of a gun cocking?”

“Yes, I did some of that and it makes him flinch quite a bit. The Italian accents are going to be the biggest hurdles in my opinion. But I think a several more weeks here with sessions like that spread out, he might be able to finally be discharged.”

Steve felt his eyebrows raise in surprise. “Really? I thought he would need longer.”

Bethany nodded as she signed some forms the receptionist handed her. “Originally yes, but I think that what happened in Newark has finally given Danny the reality of his health. He no longer denies that he has a problem. Depression still plays a key role and he is much more easily hurt emotionally. So, pay attention to how you speak, but don’t coddle. Keep things normal as best as you can.”

The SEAL nodded. “I have already started making changes at the office yesterday and only adding a room for him at home.”

Bethany nodded and pursed her lips in thought. “That’s good to hear but I think that it is important to loop Danny into this project. I think he will feel better and get his mind engaged on something other than his current problems. He will know what he will need as well as to help him with the day to day process.”

Steve nodded. “I would like that.”

She smiled and motioned to a nurse. “Ms. Angela, could you escort the Commander to my therapy room please?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She replied and motioned for Steve to follow.

Bethany headed in the opposite direction. “I will join you shortly with Danny.”

He was led down a hall and past several rooms before he entered one of them. It was warm with vibrant colors that was pleasing to the eye. A couch sat along the wall with a wooden coffee table in front of it and a wingback chair sat opposite. A plant sat on the table and several larger plants were scattered around the room. Bottles of water were stacked on top of a minifridge at the back of the room.

Steve sat on the couch and looked out of one of the three windows that lined on one wall perpendicular to the couch. He was surprised how comfortable the couch was and he couldn’t help but sink into the cushions.

A few minutes later, the door opened to reveal Bethany with Danny following. Steve made a quick look over at his love. The blonde looked exhausted. Dark smudges were underneath his eyes and a prominent slump of his shoulders. He walked slower than he normally would, indicating how tired he truly was.

Steve stood up and gathered the smaller man to him. Danny wrapped his arms around him and sighed against him. The SEAL placed a kiss on his temple. “You ok, Sweetheart?”

Danny nodded. “Yeah, just tired. Didn’t sleep well.”

The SEAL rubbed his back in sympathy and guided them to the couch where he gently pulled Danny onto it. 

Bethany cleared her throat once they were settled. “Danny, I have to say that you did very well yesterday. I know it was very hard for you, but you endured all of it and got through it. I’m very proud of you for doing that.”

Danny shrugged. “Well, like you said, if I want to go home, then I need to get through the therapy.”

Steve was surprised at the statement. When Danny first woke up in here he was completely against it. He remembered how much in denial Danny was at his mental health. Now sat someone different.

“That is true, I did say that. Why the change of heart? You were against this from the beginning.” Bethany continued, her focus sharp and calculating.

Danny sighed as he leaned tiredly more against Steve. The SEAL unconsciously wrapped an arm around him. “Yeah, I was, but after what happened at the trial...When I had a complete meltdown in front of everyone that was when I realized that...I can’t deny this problem I have anymore. If just giving a testimony on what happened can trigger a fear paralyzing inducing response, then there is no way that I can safely do my job in the field.” 

Bethany nodded. “That’s quite the realization. Which brings me to my next question. What do you think about going back to work? And please be honest.”

The blonde sat for a long minute, chewing his bottom lip. Then he took a deep breath. “Honestly, I’m not sure if I could handle the job anymore. I’m too jumpy at the smallest things now, I always feel way too emotional. I don’t know if I could safely have my team’s back.”

“Thank you, Danny, for being honest. Now, Steve and I have been discussing options for you. But keep in mind that you can tell us your opinion and what you would like to do if you don’t like the options we have come up with, ok?”

Danny nodded and looked at her, listening. 

“One option you could do is transfer out of 5-0 and work at the police academy. You could be an instructor and help train officers into the field. Another would be teaching officers who want to be detectives.” Bethany listed and then motioned to Steve.

Steve felt nervous now. He wasn’t sure how Danny would take his idea. “I’ve talked to the Governor and we have come up with a solution for you if you want to remain with 5-0. You would mostly do paperwork, research and occasionally help with interrogation. Sometimes you might come with me to interview families, witnesses or victims. In case things go south, as they tend to do, you would be helping us by using the computer table to relay information as well maintaining communication.” He sighed and braced himself for an explosion. “What do you think, sweetheart?”

Surprisingly, Danny remained silent. He looked between the two, his face blank. Steve didn’t like this reaction. A quiet Danny never ended well.

“What if I wanted to quit altogether? Maybe stay home and not work.” He said quietly.

Steve felt a pang of sadness in his chest. He swallowed it down and kissed Danny on the cheek. “If that’s what you wanted to do, that would be fine. I just want you to be happy and live the life you want.”

Danny nodded and then he went over to the windows and looked out. He didn’t speak or move once he leaned against the wall.

Worry crept into his mind. He went to stand, but Bethany held up a hand to stop him. She looked at the blonde patiently. “Danny, do you want to tell us what you are thinking?”

After a minute, Danny sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know what to think. That is a lot more options than I was expecting.” He paused as he continued looking out to the scenery. “I think I need some time to think about it, if that’s ok.”

“Of course. This is a big decision and I think taking the time to look at the pros and cons is a good idea. In the meantime, let’s talk about how much longer I think you need to be here.”

Danny turned to face her at that. “Ok.”

“I think 3-4 weeks here would be good. After that, we can evaluate on discharging you and sending you home. We would continue your treatment back at my regular office. How does that sound?”

The blonde blinked in surprise, his mouth slightly gaping open. It took a few tries before he could speak. “That, um, that sounds good.”

Bethany smiled. “Excellent. Now, one last thing. I know this is a lot of information for you to process. Steve has an idea for adding something at home that we think would help you.”

Steve nodded and took his cue. “I was thinking that we could add a room in the office at home. It would be your space to do as you wish. Whatever you wanted in there to help you if you get overwhelmed or just need a break from company or whenever you need it. You could choose who was allowed in or not.”

Danny tilted his head in thought. “What about the rest of the house?”

The SEAL shrugged. “I thought the rest could remain as is. You were always comfortable with how everything was set up, so I figured just adding the one room would be all we would need to do.”

The blonde smiled at him. A genuine smile that reached those blue eyes that Steve hasn’t seen in a long time and it made a warmth spread in his body. “I think I can agree with that.”

“Good. While Steve gets the room constructed you and I can think about what you would like to put in there and design. I think this will be a nice mental project for you.”

Danny nodded and he sat back on the couch where he hugged Steve tightly. “Thanks, babe.”

Steve smiled and kissed him. “Of course, anything you want.”

The blonde pulled back and Steve saw a sparkle in his blue eyes. “Can I drive my car?”

The SEAL laughed. “Ok, most things you can have.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “Figures. You are never going to relinquish the keys, are you?”

Steve grinned. “Not in this lifetime, Danno.”


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finally gets to take Danny home.
> 
> Here's the next chapter. Only one chapter remaining. This was a long one, but I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. Please leave a comment or Kudos. Enjoy!

It actually ended up being six weeks before Bethany agreed that Danny was coping well enough to finally be released. He still had a lot of work to do to be able to have a normal life, but Danny was just glad that he was finally able to go home.

During those weeks, Danny had allowed Steve in on the sessions for the first couple of weeks, then he decided to keep the SEAL out. He wanted to talk through some things without Steve there. This, of course, put the brunette on edge, especially since the more aware and balanced Danny became, the less he was being told about what was going on.

But finally, today was the day that Steve got to take Danny home. As far as he knew, Danny still hadn’t made a decision on what he wanted to do as far as work was concerned. Without a hint of what Danny wanted to do, Steve made an executive decision and finished making the modifications to the 5-0 office.

Steve made his way to the psych ward, trying not to skip he was so excited. Bethany was there to greet him when he arrived. She smiled and shook his hand that he offered. 

“Good morning, Commander. I see you are quite excited.”

The SEAL grinned, “Can you blame me, Doc?”

She laughed while accepting a file from a nurse. “Zeke is helping him finish getting his things ready. They should be out in a minute.”

The two made small talk for a few minutes when Steve saw Danny animatedly talking with Zeke as they made their way over. Danny was carrying the small duffel bag that Steve brought to him a few days ago.

As soon as the smaller man was close enough, Steve easily pulled him close to him and gave him a passionate kiss while he was mid rant. As soon as the kiss ended, Danny lightly punched him in the chest. “Seriously? I was having a civilized conversation when you rudely interrupted me. Animal!” The group laughed at his reprimand.

“Ok, Danny, I just need you to sign some paperwork real quick and then you are free to go. These are the papers that I talked to you about this morning. The after care and the check in with me at the office with appointments for a certain amount of time.” Bethany quickly explained while holding a pen out to the blonde. Danny glanced over the paperwork before signing.

As soon as he signed the last one, Steve grabbed his bag and wrapped an arm around Danny’s shoulders. He was dragging them out before Danny had even registered putting the pen down. The blonde just had enough time to wave to the other two before they turned the corner to the elevators.

“Steve, would you slow down? What’s your deal?” Danny complained as soon as they entered the elevator.

The SEAL merely smiled as he pushed the button for the ground floor.

Danny rolled his eyes. “Ok, am I going to be able to see people before you go completely caveman on me?”

“Don’t worry, Danno, the team is coming over for dinner tonight.” Steve laughed at Danny’s glare.

They got to the camaro and piled in. Danny was annoyed that he couldn’t drive his car after so long, but he chose to not say anything. They drove for a while in silence, Steve immediately holding Danny’s hand. The SEAL felt relaxed and happy for the first time in about a year.

“Have you heard about the trial?” Danny’s voice drew Steve out of his thoughts. He glanced over to the passenger seat and saw the concerned look on Danny’s face.

“Yes. Elaine called me last week. He’s going to jail and he’s never getting out. He is going to die in prison.” Steve squeezed Danny’s hand in comfort while the blonde let out a shaky breath. “It’s finally over, Danny.”

“He should get the death penalty.” Danny growled.

Steve bit his bottom lip. He felt the same way, but he couldn’t agree out loud. “Yeah, but that would have been too easy. This way, he will suffer. Just like you and the rest of your team suffered.”

He saw Danny nod out of the corner of his eye along with a shaky breath. Steve winced knowing that he had hit a painful nerve. He inwardly cursed himself, just now remembering the conversation he had a while back about Danny’s emotions being more fragile.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Today is supposed to be a happy day.” 

“Stop. Stop, ok?” Danny interrupted, voice still hoarse from tears. “Yes, I get that my emotions are closer to the surface now. I get it, but please don’t start walking on eggshells with me.”

Steve nodded, feeling ashamed. “Ok. Fine, but I’m going to ask you to guide me on this then. I’m not going to know if I go too far or not right now.”

“Ok, fine. I suppose that’s fair.” They drove the rest of the ride in silence.

When they arrived home, Steve was back to being a giddy child. Danny shook his head as he got out of the car and made his way to the front door. Steve unlocked it and let the blonde go first. “Welcome home, sweetheart.”

Danny stood in the living room and just breathed. Any tension that remained melted away as he just enjoyed being at home at long last. Warm, strong arms wrapped around his waist and lips kissed along his neck.

The blonde sinks into the embrace and lets his head lean against Steve’s shoulder. “I’m so happy that you are home, baby. I’ve missed you.” Steve spoke quietly against his ear.

Danny smiles. “It’s nice being home. I’ve missed this place. Even the horrible sound of the waves.” He laughs at the irony.

Steve kisses him a few more times and makes his way around until he is standing in front of Danny. “There’s a couple things I want to show you.”

He led Danny to the office and showed him the new wall that was put in. A dark mahogany door was in the very center. Steve opened the door and stood aside. “This is for you whenever you need to get away for a little bit. You control who is allowed in and who isn’t. Check it out.”

Danny cautiously walked into the room and was amazed at what he saw.

The room was painted a nice light blue color, the carpet was changed to an off white color. A bay window had been put in so he could curl up on the wide window seat and look out into the ocean. A dark teal loveseat with yellow pillows sat on one wall with a tan colored coffee table in front of it. A blanket was folded neatly on the arm of the loveseat. A couple of tall plants were strategically placed around the room. A small shelf held some of his favorite books, hung on the wall within easy reach. It was even better than the design he had thought of.

Danny took everything and felt completely speechless.

“Well, what do you think?” Steve asked from the door.

The blonde turned to him and held his hand out to the SEAL. Steve walked in and took it gently, placing a kiss on his knuckles.

“Steve, this is...incredible. It’s beautiful.” Danny felt tears well up in his eyes.

“It’s all yours, sweetheart. When you need to be alone or take a break from everything, you can come in here. I’ll make sure no one comes in here. This is your space.”

Danny drew Steve down and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “Thank you, babe.”

Steve gave his goofy smile. “Come on. I got one more thing to show you.” He gently pulled Danny with him as he made his way outside and down to the beach.

The blonde was confused at first until they reached the two adirondack chairs. Then he couldn’t help but smile fondly. 

The chairs had been refurbished. The old paint had been stripped, sanded down and repainted. The table between the two chairs was also refurbished and looked more stable than it was that last time Danny saw it.

“Wow, babe. These look really nice.” Danny whispered in awe. It took him another minute to be able to speak again. “I’m touched, babe.”

Steve smiled and drew Danny in close, holding the smaller man’s hips. He gave a loving kiss before he pulled away and touched his forehead to Danny’s. “I love you. You make me so happy and I don’t want to lose you again.”

Danny gave a small smile and placed his hands on either side of Steve’s face. “I love you too.” He breathed out before giving a kiss of his own. “I’m here, ok? I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good. I just have one question.” 

“Ok, What’s that?”

Steve took a deep breath, feeling very nervous all of a sudden. “I just want to know...have you decided on what you want to do about work?”

Danny sighed and pulled away, walking a few steps. Steve frowned but stayed where he was. “Danny?”

The blonde let out another sigh and looked out to the sea for a few moments to think. “Steve, I want you to know that I appreciate everything you have done. But I actually want to announce it to everybody at once. If that’s ok?”

Steve blew out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Yeah, sweetheart. That’s completely fine. I can deal with that.” He said with a slight chuckle, relieved that’s all it was.

Danny nodded and finally turned back to him. “Ok. Great.”

“So, we have a few hours before everyone shows up. Why don’t we go upstairs and lie down.” Steve said as he slowly got close to Danny once again.

The blonde smiled. “Sure, but I’m positive it won’t be very restful.”

Steve laughed as he led them towards their bed where he planned to make love slowly and sweetly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to decide which story to do next. A fantasy one or maybe a pirate or a teenager Danny and Steve? Or perhaps another hurt/comfort story like this one. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks for all of your wonderful support. Y'all are amazing. :D


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ohana has a party, Danny announces his decision and Steve doesn't wait for backup.
> 
> This is it. The final chapter! You guys are super awesome! Got some good feedback as well as some good ideas for some new stories. Ahhhh, so many choices. I'll try to have a new story up soon. As always, please leave a comment and kudos. Any topic/scenario suggestions are always welcome. Enjoy!

The sun had set a couple of hours ago, but the party at the McGarrett home was in full swing. Chin, Kono, Lou’s wife Renee and Danny were relaxing out on the lanai while Steve and Lou were cleaning up from dinner. Grace and Lou’s two kids were playing along the surf behind Steve’s house.

Steve watched for a moment at the group laughing from some funny story while he washed a plate. He smiled as he watched how Danny was completely relaxed while he leaned back in his chair, feet tucked underneath in the chair and lazily dangling a longboard in one hand.

“Seems our boy is much better now.” Lou’s deep voice interrupted his thoughts. “Did he say if he was coming back to 5-0?”

“No, not yet. He said he wanted to tell all of us at the same time.” Steve resumed his focus on the dishes. 

“Well, then I hope he doesn’t wait too much longer. I’m curious to know what he has decided.” Lou finished drying the plates and put them away.

“Yeah.” Steve tossed the hand towel on the counter after drying his hands and grabbed several bottles of water from the fridge. “Come on. Let’s go join our ohana.”

The two men walked out and Lou sat next to his wife. Steve passed out the waters and sat down next to Danny, throwing an arm along the back of it.

Danny looked around for a moment, took a long drink of his beer and cleared his throat. “Hey, guys, I would like to say something.” The group fell silent. “I know this past year has been difficult, not just for me, but for everyone here. I just want to thank you for being there for me and Steve. As well as for making sure that Steve didn’t go completely insane.” Everyone laughed at that comment. “Now, I know everyone here is wondering what I will be doing now that I am on the mend. I will be honest that what I have decided was not decided easily and took a long time to figure it out.”

Steve swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach. It sounded like Danny will be leaving 5-0. A familiar grief rose in his chest and he cleared his throat as he looked away. He wasn’t ready to hear the end of his work partnership.

“After much deliberation and speaking with the Governor, I have decided that I will continue working with you guys with a new job description as well as teaching upcoming Detectives for HPD.” 

Steve whipped his head around in surprise. “Really? You’re...you’re staying?”

Danny turned to him and gave him a bright smile. “Yeah, babe. I’m staying. I can’t let you have all of the fun.”

The SEAL felt relief sweep through him and he couldn’t help himself. He jumped up, tossed Danny’s beer aside and picked the smaller man up bridal style. Danny flailed and yelled in protest until Steve shut him up with a passionate kiss. They ignored the catcalls and wolf whistles that surrounded them.

They finally parted, panting in exhilaration. Danny tried to glare but he felt too happy to be successful. “Neanderthal animal.” He murmured before kissing Steve again.

“All right. I think that’s our cue to beat it.” Lou said, chuckling at the sappiness between the two partners.

The team quickly packed up, gave their happiness of Danny sticking with the team and left. Grace was given a ride with Kono to take her home. Finally, the partners were left alone.

“I think we should celebrate.” Steve said smugly.

Danny sighed. “You are going to go caveman on me, aren’t you? Good thing I don’t have anything planned the rest of the weekend.”

Steve merely laughed and bounded up the stairs to their bedroom.

~S~

6 months later

Steve and Kono pull up to the house address that they got before they left HQ. They got out and headed to the house.

“So, Boss, how does it feel to have Danny at the office while we are out here?” Kono asked as they walked to the front door.

The SEAL smiled. “I’ll admit, it’s weird but I’m just glad he’s still on the team. What do you think about him working the computer table?”

“At first, I was nervous, but watching him work on it last week, I think I can live with it. He obviously worked hard to learn about computers”.

Steve smiled. “Yeah, he did. He bought all of these books and studied them night and day for weeks.”

Before Kono could answer, Steve’s phone rang. He immediately answered it. “Hey, sweetheart, bored already?”

“You’re not as funny as you think, Steven.” Danny’s snarky voice made Steve smile wider. “I actually was calling you to tell you that a video at a convenient store shows our suspect was seen taking Molly hostage. I tracked them through cameras and they drove to the address that you are at now.”

Steve motioned to Kono and pulled his gun. “Thanks, Danno.”

“I already called backup, ETA 5 minutes. Steve, please don’t do anything stupid.”

“Relax, Danny, everything will be fine.” He hung up and headed to the door.

Kono mirrored his position next to the door and smirked. “Let me guess, we’re not waiting for backup.” 

Steve grinned. “Of course not.” He said before kicking open the door.

~S~

2 hours later and the team was walking back into the offices. Lou was standing at the computer, doing close out procedures for the case. Danny was nowhere in sight.

“Hey, where’s Danny?” Steve asked.

Lou didn’t even bother turning around. “Well, brotha, your man heard about you making entry without backup which resulted in a major shootout. He freaked out, but he stayed monitoring everything until it was over. Once he knew everyone was fine, he beat a hasty retreat to his space.” He pointed to Danny’s office.

“Ok. Then I will check on him while the rest of you start writing your reports.” Steve ordered before walking to his partner’s door.

The office had been modified with a one way window. This way Danny was able to see out, but no one could see in. It was a way to help reduce Danny’s stress if no one could see him if he was having a melt down. The door was now a heavy wooden door instead of glass.

Steve entered without knocking. Danny would know he was here already. The inside of the office was pretty much the same. The only difference was a better couch had been purchased so Danny could take a nap if he got mentally drained. A yoga ball was placed next to the couch for yoga positions. These were exercises designed to help reduce stress and lower Danny’s anxiety. 

Steve glanced at the prescription bottles of an antidepressant and xanax that sat on his desk. Danny now has to take antidepressants for the rest of his life. The blonde struggled with depression and Bethany agreed that this was the best solution. Thankfully, Danny only had to see her once every six months now. He was coping much better, but he still could get stressed out very easily.

Currently, Danny was lying on the couch, an arm over his eyes as he worked on a breathing exercise. Steve sat on the side of the couch and gently held his free hand.

“Hey, you ok?”

Danny took a deep breath and sighed. “Yeah. Just scared me.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

The blonde removed his arm and glared at him. “Oh, please, you never wait for backup. That’s never going to change.”

Steve shrugged. “Probably, but I can try.”

“You could, but the reality of it is that you are too impatient to wait. No, best I just learn to deal with it. I’ll be fine, just forgot how stressful it was.”

The SEAL gently brushed the loose pieces of hair out of Danny’s face. “Hey, I love you. We’re still learning how to do things. You’ve only been working for three days. Give us a break. There’s going to be some kinks, but we’ll work it out.”

Danny nodded after a minute and sat up. Steve smiled and kissed him. “So, how much damage did you do?” The blonde asked.

Steve grinned. “I don’t know. A thousand or two, maybe.”

As expected, Danny began to rant at how he could be so thoughtless as to rack up a bill so high. Steve happily listened, thankful that his partner was mostly back to normal. Everything in his world was as it should be once again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Please leave comments and kudos. I look forward to hearing from all of you.


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